Chains of the Unforgiven
by inumaru13
Summary: Yami was supposed to meet Yugi at the bus station. Yami was supposed to not be late. Yami wasn't supposed to be shattered on the floor. Missing for 3 years, sometimes fixing things is harder than it looks. Puzzleshipping, Puppyshipping, Prideshipping
1. Missing

"Aibou should be home soon," Yami muttered to himself as he hurriedly threw on a jacket and shoes before rushing out the door of the Kame Game Shop, his Millennium Puzzle clanking on its chain to the same loudness of the bell. "I hate the fact that his bus stop is 2 miles away but, I can't do anything to the school system or else, well never mind the powers of chaos and the Shadow Realm." He sighed as he continued to bolt through the normally crowded streets of Domino City, his tri-colored hair whipping around his face as he quickly brushed his blond bangs from his eyes. His crimson eyes glowered as he whirled around to a corner before turning past to run through an abandoned archway, but quickly opened once more to their normal, authoritative glow.

A pair of eerily green eyes watched from afar, fusing with the darkness of the alleyways before vanishing completely. All that followed…was a scream.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Yug'," an overly exuberant voice shouted into the ears of a small teenager whose only response was an annoyed chuckle.

"Jonouchi, you could try to not give me a permanent deafness in one ear," Yugi laughed as his large amethyst eyes sparkled with his childish nature. "I'm pretty sure Kaiba can even hear you on the 100th floor of his building."

"If I could, I would put it off as a mutt howling because his master forgot his bone at home." A curt voice spoke with sarcasm as a tall brunet with crystal like blue eye brushed past, purposely shoving Jonouchi as his gravity defying trench coat billowed in the wind.

"I'M NOT A DOG MONEYBAGS!!" Jonouchi shouted and proceeded to run after the brunet, raising his fists and threatening to knock the smug smirk off the CEO's face. Yugi only sighed as he watched the two proceed to banter back and force, pushing and shoving before both entered a sleek, black limo and drove off.

"Hey Yugi," a shrill girlish voice laughed as Anzu appeared next to the small boy, ruffling his tri-colored hair causing the boy to squirm with giggles.

"Anzu stop it." Yugi laughed as he responded to the grin on the girl's face. "What are you doing here?"

"I decided to stop in this way because I'm on my way to Honda's and saw you walking on your own so I decided, for the sake of friendship, to drop in and give you some company."

"Thanks Anzu, but you really didn't have to. Yami-kun normally meets up with me in the next block or two."

"Yami huh?" Anzu giggled. "You two seem to be getting along quite well, not that you didn't have a strong bond before, well, now that he has a body of his own."

"He's like my big brother so of course we get along better for the most part." Yugi smiled. "It is a lot less awkward because he isn't considering himself a voice in my head that might drive me insane."

"Heehee," Anzu smiled.

"Also, he has his memories now so it won't feel so empty through our mind link when I discuss memories."

"Mmhm, um…" Anzu started.

"What?" Yugi asked with a slight edge of concern in his voice.

"You said Yami normally meets up with you in a block or two but well," Anzu bit her bottom lip as she began to look around at her surroundings.

"Yeah." Yugi began to look around also. "We normally meet up at the Java coffee shop."

"Yugi, we just passed there 5 minutes ago and I didn't see Yami…actually, the shop was closed."

Yugi's eyes widened at the statement and looked behind him. Sure enough, the coffee shop was there and it was closed. There was also no tan, royal, and leather-clad pharaoh in sight. "I'll call him through the mind link."

Anzu nodded as watched thoughtfully as the smaller version of the missing pharaoh closed his childish eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, the latter collapsed with an obvious pain laced expression spreading around his features.

"YUGI, what's wrong?" Yugi didn't respond as he quickly picked himself up and ran. "YUGI!!" Anzu raced after the smaller, bolting through the streets, passed closed shops, under an archway and finally, she stopped in front of an old abandoned shed on the outskirts of a derailed train station. She saw the door slightly ajar and a small shadow inside.

"Yugi, what are we doing here? This place has been empty for years now." Anzu walked in and saw what made her heart stop and the world freeze over. Yugi was kneeling in front of a floor that was littered with shiny sparkles. Focusing her panicked eyes, she saw the sparkles were golden and in different shapes, some drenched in a deep maroon color. Yugi had a handful of which tears were dripping at a steady pace onto them, while fingers fumbled with desperation to put them together. There lay, on the floor, parts drenched in blood was the smashed, golden puzzle, of the great Pharaoh Atemu.


	2. Chasing

"Kaiba Corporations, Seto Kaiba speaking," the CEO snapped darkly into the phone, earning a playful pout from his golden blonde lover who was watching T.V on the couch. However, the playful pout was soon replaced with a worry creased brow and a saddened frown when he was the brunet's eyes widen ever so slightly with each passing moment of the conversation.

"Alright, calm down, I'll be right down." Kaiba finished as he hastily slammed the receiver back onto the cradle with more force than neccesary and rose to sweep out of the room, grabbing the unsuspecting blonde's hand and dragging him by a shocked secretary as he told her to cancel all meetings he had for the week and possibly postpone them for a month.

"Oi, moneybags, slow down and tell me what the 'ell's goin' on?" Jonouchi barked as he struggled in the iron grasp of his blue eyed brunet.

"That was Yugi on the phone," Kaiba replied hastily while somehow managing to snap orders at Isono as well to hurry to the Kame Game shop.

"What's wrong with Yug'?" Jonouchi forced out when his hand was released and his lover settled on the seat opposite of him and crossed his arms, glowering with a deathly force underneath his perfect hair.

"It's not Yugi," Kaiba sighed as he placed a finger on his temple and began to massage as anger began to boil to the surface.

"Seto," Jonouchi ground out. "Tell me what the hell is fucking going on. If it's not Yugi then what the fucking hell else is there when Yugi was on the phone?"

"Yami's gone missing." Seto let out in one breathily whisper, so soft that Jonouchi had to lean in to hear it, but the effects were as if a volcano had exploded.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!" There was a sharp screech of tires as the two rushed out of the limo to their targeted destination.

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"I'll send out the search teams throughout Domino," Kaiba snapped back at the person pathetic enough to be answering the phone. "I want them out by the end of 5 minutes and if I do not hear that they are, I will make sure to make your life a living hell of unemployment." All the room could hear the pathetic squeak of the answering official and then the exasperated sigh of Kaiba as he hung up the phone.

"Seto," Jonouchi spoke up, slowly moving to sit with his lover on the couch.

"The teams will be out. We will find the ones who took Yami." Kaiba growled, blue eyes glowing dangerously at the anticipated chase.

"Thank you," came the feeble whimper of Yugi as he sat, puppy eyed, staring down at the once more completed puzzle hanging around his neck. However, he could no longer feel the comforting presence of the pharaoh or the warmth of his heart. All that resided in the golden jewel was darkness and a lonely echo.

"Yugi," Anzu gently cooed to the teen as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find him." Yugi still did not look up from the puzzle. Anzu sighed and continued, "What did you hear when you tried to patch in through your mind link?"

"I just felt pain," Yugi forced out. "Everything was calm at first but then suddenly, there was so much pain. I felt like I was being torn from the inside out. Then everything just went blank. No pain and no sign that he was there." A small shudder shook him as he remembered the chilling sensations of the experience.

"Mou Hitori no Boku." Tears formed in his amethyst eyes as his body curled around the puzzle. Anzu, Jonouchi, and Seto could only watch helplessly from the sidelines as they heard the search teams run up their street and police officers pass through the doors. Everyone hoped that they would be able to find the missing Yami.


	3. Time Lapse

3 years later…

"Yugi-Tachi," Anzu called out to an average height tri-colored teenager as they were walking back from a bus station.

"Anzu-chan," Yugi turned and smiled as he saw his long time friend depart off her bus, and run to catch up with him.

"I haven't seen you for a month now, how have you been?" Anzu laughed. Yugi had grown a few inches, making him just about Yami's height if not a bit taller with muscle toning the pale flesh. His hair was still the same tri-colored spike with the softer golden bangs, lacking the stiff authority of Yami's lighting streaked trio. His eyes were what changed the most. They lost their childish length and width to become sharper, and more age appropriate. Needless to say, he had the pharaoh's eyes; they were just a softer amethyst instead of the hardened crimson. He still wore leather and the dog collar along with the Millennium Puzzle, glinting in the sunlight beneath his black blazer.

"I've been out camping in the mountains," Yugi smiled as he gestured towards his duffle bag. "It was nice weather so I decided to take a vacation.

"In the middle of the school year," Anzu laughed, peeling her eyes off of the boy's eyes and focusing on the conversation.

"The teacher gave me leave." Yugi smiled again. "She said I had the grades that could afford to relax a bit. Besides…"

"Besides…?" Anzu's eyes glinted with worry when she saw her friend's knuckles tighten as they resisted reaching for the puzzle around his neck.

"I told her I had some personal business to take care of." Yugi sighed.

"Yami huh," Anzu stated, eyes saddening when she saw the flinch that coursed through the boy.

"He's out there I know it," Yugi snarled this time causing Anzu to flinch.

"I know," Anzu sighed.

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Pain, all that he could grasp was pain. Behind him, he could hear the echoes of the sadistic disciplinarians plotting on what to do with him. Chains had long since rubbed his wrists raw as he waited, waited to have his fate ended but only to feel more pain instead. Half lidded eyes stared glumly at the floor, waiting then smirking when he heard the snaps of leather.

"Darkness, so much darkness," a deranged chuckle echoed about black hole, "So much darkness." This was followed up by the cracking of a whip.

"You filthy piece of shit," a gruff voice snarled as he brought down the cruel nine tails again. All that followed after the crack was a deranged chuckle mixed in with a scream.

"Sadly, that's my name," a raspy voice wheezed out.

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!!" the torturer snarled as he brought down the whip repeatedly, dark droplets splattering around the figure. Chains rattled in discomfort as the chuckles turned into whimpers. Soon, whimpers turned into moans and shortly, they once more howled as screams.

"Pathetic whore," the torturer chuckled now as he brought the whip down in one final stroke, across the blank face of the victim, marring the pale skin horribly. He then spat and left the cell as two rough guards entered and hauled the limp body off the dangling chains, bodily throwing it, backside up, against a wooden table. All that was heard was grunting and mixed insults while rough laughter echoed through the cell.

The guards once more had the body chained and collared against a moldy wall. Shoving a gag into the resisting mouth they chuckled and left, slamming the heavy iron bars shut, leaving the room in darkness once more.

"YOU HAVE A FIGHT TOMORROW AND YOU'D BETTER NOT DISSAPOINT, or else, the boss will have his fun again." This was the departing laugh when another heavy gate slammed shut.

Dull crimson eyes stared emptily at the floor while shiny, wet, streaks rolled along the cheeks, mixing in with the blood dripping down the new wounds.

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"Kaiba Corporations, Kaiba speaking," Kaiba snapped into the phone. He was very busy designing a new virtual reality game and hated to be interrupted.

"We are sorry sir but we just called to say we might have a lead on the case." A husky, quivering voice responded from the blue receiver. This immediately shot Kaiba out of his laptop and began to grip the receiver with both slender hands.

"Where and how," he whispered.

"We have had a lead for about a month but couldn't confirm it until one of our agents went undercover and saw the missing for himself."

"Where and how," Kaiba once again snapped annoyingly.

"They are an underground gladiator competition on the outskirts of New York City." came the hasty reply. "I'm sending you the location, the phone number, and the man in charge, along with a pair of front row tickets for the show via email right now."

"Show, what show?" Kaiba now replied with a small hint of dread in his voice when he received the answer.

"It's a gladiator ring Mr. Kaiba. What do gladiators do?" with that the man hung up. Kaiba then sat, unmoving then almost as if electrified, shot from his seat, wrenched his signature white trench coat from the hanger and brushed past the gaping secretary, stating that he would be out for about a month.

"Calling puppy," Kaiba hummed into the phone being held at arms length when his lover gave him the usual "You are such an ass of a dragon and I'm not a dog speech."

"You're off work early…" came the statement after the speech had finally calmed down.

"Start packing puppy," Kaiba coolly slurred. "We're going to where you got that annoying accent of yours."

"We're going to New York," Joey gaped through the receiver before he finally caught the insult. "HEY!! My accent is not annoying moneybags." But his brunet had already hung up, shouting at Isono to get to the mansion in 10 minutes tops or be fired.

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"Get up you whore and hurry up, we got payin' customers and they want to be entertained." A burly foot kicked the man hard in his too exposed ribs, causing the prior to double over and hack a fit of blood before slowly crawling back onto his hands and knees. Another harsh tug at the chain attached to the tight leather collar left the man winded and desperately clawing at the ground, pushing his abused body up so that his lungs could once more breathe in the heavenly oxygen.

"I said be a bit gentler with him," came a slick voice as the clacking of boots echoed down the stone corridor. Now both men had frozen; the first from fear, the other from mental horror.

"Boss," the burly one breathed. The voice's owner merely gestured towards the guard to hand over the leash and leave. The guard immediately complied, throwing the chain and the prisoner at the boss and scurried like a rodent away from the cat.

Waiting and watching until the prey was out of earshot, the slick voice cooed again, stroking the cheek of the now in his arms captive.

"I'm sorry your majesty, you deserved better treatment." Stroking through the matted golden bangs, he pressed the lithe form against his own so that he could look down into the captive's face. He could hear the other's faint whimpers as blank crimson bore into the eerie green. "Then again, you were on your hands and knees, begging." Giving a harsh tug at the chain, he watched the collar dig into the pale flesh, eliciting a moan from the prisoner. "You fell so hard now what's the matter. Can't stand back up?"

"Please don't," a soft murmur came from the slightly parted lips as small tears began to glaze over the dull blood.

"Fight like it's your last and we'll see," the slithery voice cackled as he once more hauled the prisoner behind him and out, into the ring of cheering spectators.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Moneybags, why are we in New York," groaned an irritated mop top blonde as he hauled with difficulty a rather hastily packed suitcase.

"We're here to see a show." The CEO replied as he threw on a pair of sunglasses and a black wig, dressing himself in a plain business suit and carrying his metal briefcase through the doors of the airport. They had flown on Kaiba's private turbojet which meant they made it to the city within the hour. Jonouchi will be having nightmares for months to come.

"Show, what—ah," Jonouchi was shut up by a bruising kiss that seared into his veins. This kiss was not filled with passion but regret and desperation making the puppy whimper.

"Stay close to me and whatever you do; don't give away our real names." Kaiba panted as he broke away from his flushed lover. "Please pup."

"Seto," Jonouchi breathed before hastily nodding and holding his lover's gaze as they stepped into a sleek black Jaguar.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Yugi what are you doing?" Jii-chan shouted up at the closed door of his grandson's room. Sighing when he got no response, he made a beeline for the living room when he heard the phone ringing.

"Kame Game shop this is Mouto speaking." Another second later, he was once again hollering at the closed door.

"YUGI PICK UP THE PHONE!! IT'S FROM KAIBA CORP AND THEY WISH TO SPEAK TO YOU!!"

This got Yugi to bolt out of the room and swiped the receiver from the hands of the old man nearly giving him a heart attack.

"This is Yugi Mouto," Yugi breathed into the phone, slightly panting from his race down the stairs.

"Hi Yugi, this is Kaiba's personal secretary. I'm calling to tell you that Seto Kaiba and Katsuya Jonouchi have taken a personal vacation for a month in New York City." The secretary spoke nonchalantly.

"Thank you ma'am," Yugi forced a cheerful tone into his voice as he hung up and slunk back into his room.

'How can they be vacationing when we still haven't found Yami,' Yugi mentally screamed as he threw a book into the full body mirror across his room. It shattered and bits of glass flew down to his carpet. He curled up on his bed, ignoring the small cuts on his hands from where the glass powder had stuck to, tightly hugging the puzzle as he sobbed into the pillows.

"Mou Hitori no Boku," Yugi choked, "You promised me."


	4. Dungeons and Dragons

He could hear the roaring of the many fans waiting for the blood bath. He could hear the struggling captors steady the beast in the next room, occasionally some screamed when the creature turned upon him instead. He could hear the clanking of chain links on his neck. He could hear the ever slowing beat of his own heart.

'Fight like it's your last and we'll see.' Those haunting words echoed through his mind as the chain was given a hard tug, causing him to stumble incoherently forwards. Maybe this fight was his last fight but he knew that if he gave in, death was certain to be prolonged longer than expected. Hours of brutal torture, floggings and humiliation would race through his frail body. How long had he been like this? How long had his mind been severed and his heart and soul crushed? Had he really saved the world numerous times just to be squashed like an insignificant cockroach under the glow of those unforgivable, cold, green eyes?

The gates were open causing blinding light to flood into the metallic smelling cell. His leash was yanked brutally again, forcing his dead feet to lag themselves into the fateful ring. The crowd, the same bloodthirsty crowd, waiting, screaming, betting on which one was to die. Slowly, he looked up, his eyes refocusing into the glazing sun. At one time, the sun would have kissed him and bowed down at his feet, tanning his skin a rich bronze color and lighting the path in which he walked. Now all the sun was, was a certain death wish for he knew; only monsters lurked beyond the gates of his cell.

"GO GO GO DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!" Chants echoed through the ring of the makeshift coliseum. His blond, matted bangs stuck to his cheeks as he wearily shook his head, a mop top of a once brilliant tri-colored hair to remove the annoying bangs. The other gates were slowly cranking open and he could hear the awed murmurs of the eager crowd. Looking around, he focused on their target of aw and his body shook with utter terror.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! The vibrations that tore from the foul beast's mouth were enough to send a few of the weaker watchers flying through the air. Everyone was once again cheering as the tamers rigorously fought with the dragon to keep it tame. It struggled, clawed, bit, roared, but all that it received were electric shocks.

Slowly, he tore his gaze from the dragon to look up at the crowd. Everyone, everyone was cheering and placing thumbs down as they slapped bets on the table; all but two. One of them had black hair and piercing blue eyes that sat at the front row while clinging to him was another with a graying mop top and honey colored eyes. Wait…those eyes. Those blue eyes did nothing but glower in disgust at the scene yet there was a hint of horror and utter terror flickering around in the calm façade. The other didn't even try to mask his terror and horror as he was whimpering and pleading with the black haired next to him. Why? Sudden blinding pain across his back snapped him out of his thoughts as he felt his body slammed into the concrete wall while the dragon's breath crawled down his neck.

This fight had begun.


	5. Spectators

"Sir step on it please," a gray haired young man stated while his black haired companion sat down across from him in the limo.

"To where sir?" the driver asked without turning. The gray haired handed the man a slip of paper with an address printed on it only to receive a knowing smile.

"What's so amusing?" the black haired companion spoke up harshly as his blue eyes glowered at the employee.

"I'm sorry sir, it's just that there are no secrets in New York," the driver spoke as he gassed the engine. "I too have been to seen the show and it is very entertaining. The young man has been the apple of my eye when I saw him, quite handsome, authoritative, yet utterly broken as he brought down monsters twice his size only to be grabbed by the chain and well, disciplined in front of everyone when he didn't fight his best."

The blue eyed looked back at his gray hair companion and his brow creased with worry when he saw the sick look crossing the man's face.

"Step on it or be fired and believe me, I know enough English to squash you any day," the blue eyed snapped as he wrapped a comforting arm around his companion. Silence lapsed in the car as the black haired rolled up the soundproof windows. Finally the gray haired man pulled off his wig to reveal a bright blonde mop top while honey colored eyes looked about to be torn apart with tears.

"Seto," he breathed. "It sounded like it was Yami."

"It is," the black haired pulled of his wig to reveal a perfectly trimmed brunet as he glowered down at the limousine carpet when he heard the choked sob from his lover's throat.

"We have to get him out, we have to—," the blond was cut off when Seto pressed his lips against his.

"We will, but you have to promise me this," Seto murmured, breaking away from his lover, "you have to keep on the disguise, shut up, and keep a low profile."

"But Seto—,"

"Jonouchi." The voice was dangerous now. "I have a plan but you have to control yourself no matter what you see."

"Okay," Jonouchi breathed as they both pulled on their disguises and exited the limo and were quickly waved into a descript building.

"I see first row," the ticket booth growled.

"Yes."

"Names."

"Outoki Tenashi and Kigo Tatuski."

"Admitted, also with a back stage pass?"

"Yes."

"Please enjoy the show."

They were waved through the security guards and into the main ring. They gaped when they say the building was without a roof as an open air ring, the sun blazing down into the sandy lot. Just then, the fighter was brought out, being tugged harshly on his chained leash. Seto had to grab Jonouchi and force him into his seat so that he would not to beat the shit out of whoever was leading the poor man.

Blank crimson eyes looked across the stadium as a dragon was lead into the same ring. Jonouchi was pleading with him now, tugging on his sleeve, begging him to fight. Seto merely watched coolly. Slowly, those eyes scanned the stadium and crossed the two of them. There was a slight confusion and the faintest spark of familiarity. Suddenly, the gaze was torn as Seto and Jonouchi watched in horror as the body was torn into, blood splattering thick trails along the dirt, colliding into the opposite brick wall.

The fight had begun.


	6. Black

Jump, dodge, kick, punch, ran through his mind as he forced his battered body around the ring to avoid the hungry hunter. Its yellow eyes glazed over with lust as it lapped the blood that was trailing from his back while clawing blindly at him to get more.

Jump, dodge, kick, punch, run. He had to keep moving. He didn't know if he was still breathing. Get his eyes, get his eyes. His body did a back flip onto the dragon's head as he tore into those glinting yellow with his fingers, ripping them from their sockets as he was thrown to the dirt while the dragon reared in pain. It began to flap blindly around the ring. That's when the clanking of chain links reached his ears. The dragon had caught the chain to his collar. Blinding pain flashed through his brain and forced down a scream when he felt the talons dig into his legs as he was flung underneath the beast and into a spiked metal gate. The wind left him while the dragon once more bolted towards the gate. He had to move. He had to move. Shoving down another scream, he tore his already abused back from the spikes, coughing up a fit of blood before succeeding and flipping over, just in time to avoid the dragon's collision. The dragon impaled its small brain onto the protruding spikes, and tearing through the gates, severing its neck in the process.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" the crowd hollered, rising from their seats and whistling catcalls. He didn't care when the slick voice entered his mind, chilling his body beyond belief and freezing his posture.

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show," the voice chuckled into the microphone as he felt his leash grabbed from behind and him pulled into the man's chest while fingers ran through his hair. "See you next week."

Everything went black.


	7. Expect the Unexpected

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"Jonouchi, we need to go," Seto hissed into his lover's ear, desperately trying to remove his quickly numbing arm from his grasp. "We have to go get Yami."

Jonouchi meekly followed his blue eyes as they exited the arena and entered the back stage area. Here a cold voice greeted them with a snarl.

"Hello Seto Kaiba and Katsuya Jonouchi," cold green eyes smirked as both hand twisted behind his back.

"Seto…Jonouchi…," a weak whimper came from behind the man. A harsh tug on the now visible chain brought forth the battle worn figure as he stumbled forward, collapsing in utter exhaustion, only to be caught with a hiss of pain in the green eyes' arms.

"You thought that you could disguise yourselves and come to take him away from me?" The green eyes cackled as he indiscreetly ran his hand up under the bent over prisoner's back.

"Seto…where's…Aibou?" the prisoner whimpered.

"Yami," Seto ground out as he watched the master continuously toy with Yami's back, all the while holding the chain, causing the leather collar on his neck to dig into the paled flesh.

"How much is he to you?" the green eyes asked as he ran his tongue along Yami's earlobe, causing the dark to tremble.

"Who the hell are you," Jonouchi snapped, his hands already called into fists at his sides. The green eyes only laughed as they stepped out leaving the two to gape in shock.

"DARTZ!!" the green eyes only laughed again as a shadow consumed the Atlantis king.

"This body I merely borrowed. I am a spirit much like this one except, I have many desires and the pharaoh has caught my eye for quite some time." He had begun to run his hands down over the plains of the thinning chest.

"Seto…where's Aibou?" Yami whimpered again. Jonouchi made a dive to go grab the frightened pharaoh but Seto put an arm up to stop the trembling the mutt.

"Yami, Yugi is fine. You do realize that you have been calling me Seto the whole time."

"Yugi…is fine…okay," at that Yami fell fully forward with only the leash keeping him in the bent, vulnerable position in front of the Dartz imposter.

"Hmph, weak whore," Dartz laughed as he let the leash drop, watching coldly as the body crumpled to the floor in an unceremonious heap.

"You BASTARD," Jonouchi lunged passed his brunet's arms and made a punch for the man only to be caught in the gut with a fist from the guy's gut. Seto still remained frozen and stared coldly at the crumpled body.

"You foolish mortal, how the hell do you expect defeat me when I ran even the pharaoh out of his mind." The fist then hurled the unsuspecting human back into the body of Seto, knocking them both to the ground. The opposing spirit bent over and licked at Yami's neck while digging his hand through his shirt and kneading his back, causing the unconscious pharaoh to let out a moan in pain.

"Let him go," Seto growled dangerously as he shoved his blonde off of him and stood up to his full height.

"Certainly but…" the spirit rose and laughed. "You haven't answered my question."

"I have no need to disclose such information." Seto growled again.

"Ah but you do, answer me truthfully. How much is he to you?" Everything focused on Seto as he struggled out the answer.

"I would give my life, my company, and everything that I have worked hard to obtain if I could reverse time and save him."

"Then take him but, he will not be easily won over," the spirit Dartz laughed as he picked up the pharaoh and threw him into the CEO.

"Seto," Jonouchi breathed as he watched the CEO pick at the lock on the chain links then grunting in annoyance when the collar refuse to give way.

"Let's go, the car is waiting for us."

"Ok."

"Oh and puppy," Seto stopped and whirled around to face his blonde lover.

"Seto…," Jonouchi could feel a small blush creeping up onto his face as he stared into the blue eyes that could see into the depths of his soul.

"Give a call to Yugi and tell him to meet us at the mansion." Seto turned again to walk before saying words that made the blonde's heart flutter. "I love you more than the world puppy."

"Whatever moneybags," Jonouchi smiled.

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"Kame Game Shop, Yugi Mouto speaking," Yugi hummed into the phone while balancing a stack of puzzles to a very high shelf.

"Yug'," answered the Brooklyn accent over the phone immediately alerting him that it was Jonouchi.

"Jonouchi-kun, how are you?" Yugi chuckled back. The next statement made him drop all the puzzles and made all hell for him freeze over.

"Meet us at Seto's mansion in 2 hours. Yug', we have something that you have to see," Jonouchi finished with what sounded like choked tears. Yugi could hear soft whimpering in the back ground and then the sharp voice of Kaiba shouting at Jonouchi to get in here and we're having another attack.

The line went dead as the soft pattering of feet echoed through the hallway and the door bell chimed.

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"ANZU!! ANZU!! ANZU-CHAN!!" Yugi pounded into the worn oak door of apartment 008.

"Yugi-Tachi," a very drowsy Anzu responded as she creaked open to let the grown teen into her living room.

"COME DOWN TO KAIBA'S MANSION HURRY!! JONOUCHI SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS CRYING!!"

"Okay," Anzu hurried whipped on a skirt and a t-shirt and was racing after the back of the running boy.

'He looks so much like him,' Anzu sighed to herself as she watched Yugi's back fade into that of the long missing Atemu's.


	8. Awaken

Consciousness slowly registered in his mind as he felt pain race through his body, causing him to see stars. Moving his arms gingerly, he realized that they were not chained and he could open and close his mouth without difficulty. However, the tight feeling on his neck signaled that the dreaded leather collar was still there.

"You're awake," a cold voice echoed through the room causing him to visibly flinch, unconsciously freezing whatever movement he was in the middle of doing. A few more seconds, he could register that he wasn't pinned to a wall and that his neck was not being yanked but he could feel the soft cotton sheets and silken blankets.

"It's alright, you're not there anymore." The cold voice once again spoke and a soft rustling notified him that the person was approaching. He wanted to furl himself up into a small ball but his body found itself much too comfortable to respond.

"Yami, do you know who I am?" Blue eyes now stood over him as he blearily adjusting his eyes while making his mind click.

"Yami?" That's right. That was his nickname, Darkness. He felt a soft chuckle rumble through his chest. He was laughing? The blue eyes were obviously taken aback as the brow creased with worry.

"Atemu?" There, that's his real name. The name of the pharaoh that was a god to his people. But was he really him? No, he was a filthy whore, a filthy whore that had to fight for his life otherwise he would never be granted death.

"Yami—," The blue eyes began again but was cut off when he felt his own lips move in the form of a weak, raspy question.

"How…long?" He saw the blue eyes narrow in dangerous hatred.

"Three Years," the blue eyes lowered but then shot up when he heard a full blown laughter. He felt as if his chest was exploding with the force of the vibrations.

"Yami, I…" the blue eyes trailed off. He just kept laughing.

"Three…years…that's…too…short of a…time," blackness was once again claiming his vision. He could still hear the blue eyes as they frantically called out to him, calling him both of his names. Blackness, it was so peaceful. The laughter had taken everything from him. Just let him rest.

Just let…him…rest.


	9. Shut up

"Kaiba," Yugi panted as he rang the doorbell. Slowly, the twin doors swung open to reveal a very sleep deprived looking Jonouchi.

"Come with me." He muttered. "Oh, hi Anzu."

"Jonouchi, what happened?" Anzu was asking questions left and right while the two boys merely walked in silence upstairs and in front of a very spacious looking two oak doors.

"Come in," a cold voice greeted them.

"Seto, they're here," Jonouchi stated as he opened the door a crack.

"He woke up a few seconds but he wasn't exactly coherent," Kaiba emerged from the room, still wearing his black wig but his eyes had rings under them as he gestured for the three of them to enter the room.

"Anzu, stay in the adjoining guest room, you too puppy." Seto stated coldly. The two could do nothing but obey as they watched Yugi stare helplessly back at them before the other wooden door slammed shut.

"Yugi," Seto started as he made his way gingerly towards his bed. Yugi could see rumple in the blankets which meant that there was someone or something on the mattress. Seto merely beckoned him to come over and the now matured teenager felt as if he had shrunken back into his childhood years.

Three words that shook Yugi out of his comatose stance were then uttered. "We found him."

"We found Yami, Yugi," Seto stared glumly back at the mattress before Yugi finally comprehended. Yami was found and he was what was causing the rumples in the mattress.

"Yami…," Yugi stumbled forward. "Yami is…Yami," his hand began to grip his puzzle tighter than necessary as he drew closer and closer to his target. The sight that met him made Seto dive to catch him before he slammed his chin against the protruding bed post.

The pharaoh was no longer tan but a sickly pale white, as if he was a ghost again. His hair once radiant was not matted with dirt, grime, and blood. Cuts and bruises peppered the pale white skin while his ribs were clearly shown, protruding out of the skin tight black shirt. Three long lashes adorned the right side of the ex-spirit's face, one deep enough that the small whiteness of a cheekbone could be seen. A thick black, leather collar was tightly wound around his neck with ancient insignias written into the wrapping.

"Oh Ra," Yugi breathed as he lunged at the bed, Seto sitting once more crossed armed in the couch watched with cold eyes as the scene unfolded.

"MOU HITORI NO BOKU!!" Yugi screamed as he shook the sheets in which his other lay. "MOU HITORI NO BOKU!! MOU HITORI NO BOKU!!" The screams died down into whimpers as the teen collapsed onto his knees next to his other. Seto sighed in annoyance when he realized that the teen too had fallen asleep. Gingerly picking him up, he set the boy next to his other half and watched in amusement how serene the two looked together. A wave of sadness clawed at his insides as he remembered that Yami would not be of his right mind. He opened the door of the guest room and beckoned the annoying friendship girl and his puppy to go take a look at the reunion. This was going to be a very, very long day.


	10. Don't

Pain, every time he knew he was still alive, he was blinded by pain. He still felt the comfort of the soft bed but then he felt warmth next to him. He gave an inhuman like yelp and tumbled off the bed, landing hard onto his marred back eliciting a moan as pain drew rivets into his skull. Eyes refocusing he noticed a hand reaching for him and a voice calling. His body froze as he balled himself up, whimpering pathetically, waiting for a blow.

"Please…no more…I'll fight…I'll fight," he whimpered. The hand had stopped mid reach as he looked up and locked eyes with a soft and tear filled amethyst color. Amethyst…wait…no…

"Aibou…?" his voice croaked as he slowly unfurled himself. He watched his smaller self climb off the bed and wrap arms around his frame. Only then did he realize that he was shivering with such ferocity, his head could pop off at any second.

"Fight who?" a gentle voice called out to him as he felt a hand run through his hair. How he hated what his body made him do next. He grabbed the hand and forcefully threw the boy over him, springing to his feet with a feral growl and hurled Yugi into a table. The smashing against the furniture was heard and then footsteps raced to the door. Three silhouettes burst through the doors and stared shocked at the scene. He still had not left his stance as he gripped a lamp post and growled.

"Stay away from me," he snarled as he saw his Aibou move towards him. He saw the blue eyes that he had seen last night stop mid-step as well.

"Yami…," a softer girl voice echoed into his mind as he felt his feet whirl to that direction and was met with a girl with short brown hair and sparkling blue eyes instead of the colder ones of the blue eyed CEO.

"Stay away from me," he hissed as a sharp pain shot through his abdomen and the right side of his face throbbed in protest.

"Yami…," the four standing in front of him looked at him with eyes full of pity and some, self loathing. He felt the lamp slip from his fingers as a bright flash of pain coursed through his stomach and merged with that of his back as he doubled over, allowing the slimy metallic substance to slip from his lips. Blackness was eating away at his vision as he heard a desperate cry and stomping footsteps reaching to him.

Just…let…him…rest.


	11. Revelations of Sins

Yugi ignored the throbbing of his bruised back as he dove for the collapsing pharaoh. Catching him just before he hit the floor, he cradled the unconscious body as he felt the tears that were stinging his eyes fall and land onto Yami's face. He could hear Anzu gently comforting him and Jonouchi talking softly with Seto as the CEO shook his head and merely kissed his lover on the lips before leaving the room.

Jonouchi helped him put the pharaoh back onto the bed, taking notes in his mind when he saw the flits of pain that flashed over the once handsome face when their hands brushed across his back and bumped into some fresh bruises near his underarm.

"It'll be okay," Anzu gave him a gentle hug before leaving the room, tugging the resisting Jonouchi out with him after giving him a harsh glare and a brutal tug on the ear before gently closing the door behind them. This left Yugi and Yami alone in the room, one sleeping and the other in a silenced shock about how rapidly the events had just occurred.

Yami was supposed to pick him up at the bus stop two miles away from their Game Shop. They would normally meet half way at a coffee shop or at some random store then end up goofing off pretending to shop for hours at a time. Then that day, he never showed up. Kaiba had sent every search team in Japan to find him. They had searched every corner of every inch of the small island. They had done so for 1 and half years but they finally gave up and said that Yami had just gone missing and that they had to close the case. Even Kaiba could do nothing to stop them from changing their policies. Yugi had never given up and had searched even after they had said the case was closed, going through every mountain, skipping school most of the time in order to do so. Then two years later, all of a sudden Kaiba gives him a call after he got back for a Kyoto expedition to come to his mansion and here lies Yami, torn, beaten, looking as if he went through Anubis and then Ra chased him back to earth spitting fire and flames.

'I wonder what he's thinking.' Yugi clutched the puzzle to his chest out of instinct when a hollow feeling tore through his heart as he remembered the emptiness he has felt all these years when the mind link between them had been severed. Inching cautiously towards the edge of the bed, he lifted the chain with the jewel from around his neck, shivering when he felt the absence of the weight from his chest. Sitting down on the edge of the mattress, he leaned over his dark, ignoring the cuts and the bruises and gingerly, slipped the chain around the other's neck so that it overlapped with the gruesome, bloodstained collar. Instantly, he felt his body give an unearthly tug as he collapsed onto his other as he eyes felt suddenly tired. He could feel the chest beneath him rise and fall in a steady pattern with slight hitches then a moan. He was sinking, sinking into the golden tunnel as the mind link began to reestablish itself. Slowly opening his eyes again, he found himself within the puzzle in an all too familiar setting of twisting labyrinths and many door ways.

'Strange, we found all his memories, the last time I was here; it was a clear game room full of photos and ancient royal artifacts.' Yugi began to cautiously take steps forward when he remembered that this mind was full of traps and false floors.

"Mou Hitori No Boku," the matured teen called through the echoing chasms as he began to step from one door to another.

"YAMI," he called again when he opened another door that was once more found to be empty. Growing ever the more flustered, he began to race from door to door calling for his other self and calling for his dark.

"ATEMU!!" he screamed and the result was like an earthquake. The twisting stairways began to sink and the doors vanished left and right leaving only one with a golden eye in the middle of the now white room. Gaping at the sudden change in environment, Yugi stood in front of the door, hesitant and frozen with fear at what he might find. Finally gathering all his strength together, he opened the door, covering his eyes as blinding light hit them. Opening them slowly, he saw that the light had faded to reveal a dark room. Sitting facing him, against the opposite, curled up into himself was his dark.

"YAMI!!" Yugi shouted and began to bolt towards his dark only to be thrown backwards, slamming against the far sided wall as chains restrained any movement of escape. Struggling vigorously, the light stared helplessly as he studied his dark to find that there were chains binding his ankles while two shackles held the other's arms above his head. Also, a glowing, full length chain hung from that awful collar, the links clinking together. The part that scared Yugi the most and made him freeze was the blank, listless crimson eyes that stared in utter brokenness at the floor.

"Welcome back," a cold slithery voice laughed. Yugi watched as his dark froze completely as his eyes began to glint with fear, desperately wishing he could vanish into the wall. Cool, green eyes glowered back to stare at the chained Yugi.

"Looks like your Aibou is here as well." The voice laughed as he stepped from the shadows.

"DARTZ!!" Yugi gaped only to see the old Atlantis king roll his eyes in annoyance.

"Maybe its time for me to change forms, this human body has been driving me insane though the ladies seem to love it a lot." The slick voice growled.

"So you're not Dartz?!" Yugi was getting really confused. The form just shook his head again allowing black clouds to envelop him. A flowing white robe was revealed along with equally long and graceful black hair. Ominous green eyes stared back into the young teen's amethyst as long, tan, slender fingers tangled themselves within a clear, flowing sash that wrapped itself around the 6"1 body of the invading spirit.

"Do I look like that arrogant king known as Dartz now?" the slick voice spoke with mirth. Yugi only gawked.

'Wow, he's really…pretty,' Yugi couldn't help but continue to stare. Yami still hasn't moved or even bothered to look up at the new visitor.

"Not to mention those annoying fan girls and their fawning," the spirit sighed before floating back down to the ground and whirling to face the pharaoh and placing a single slender finger on his downcast chin before purring.

"When this is the only thing that I have ever wanted and now I have obtained. Three years of fun hm."

"YOU!!" the pieces finally clicked in Yugi's mind as he once again began struggling against the chains. "You were the one who took Mou Hitori No Boku away from me. You were the one who made him like that."

"Yes to first but maybe to the second." the spirit laughed as he knelt down to the fallen pharaoh.

"What do you mean maybe to the second, if you didn't do that to him," Yugi snarled when he looked at the gashes on the side of Yami's once flawless face, "then who did."

"Ah those," the spirit chuckled. Using his thumb, he turned the unresisting pharaoh's face to the side to look at the cuts. "I had my fun but these, sometimes when you give one too much power, they tend to abuse it."

"What do you mean," Yugi looked worriedly back at the pair. He saw his dark's eyes flash with fear. The spirit wrapped his free arm around Yami's chain, tugging forward so that their faces were right in front of each other's.

"I would never damage this beautiful creature on the outside, though inside," the spirit licked his lips, "I savored every moment of it."

Those words echoed into silence as Yugi gaped when he realized the meaning. "YOU BASTARD!!" The light was tearing at his restraints. "YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" The spirit opened his mouth to respond only to whirl back when a faint whimper caused the two of them to shut up.

"Aibou…," Yami groaned, his blank eyes shifting to look at his restrained light.

"Yami," Yugi gasped with surprise when the chains released him and vanished into thin air while his dark moaned in pain and closed his eyes. "YAMI!!" The teen bolted towards his other half when he saw the other's eyes drifting shut again.

"Damn," the spirit hissed as he dodged to the side when the smaller one came tackling right through him. The smaller ignored him as he knelt down in front of his other and began yanking on the shackles and chains that kept him chained to the wall all the while pleading for him to stay awake.

"Aibou…," the whisper was heard and Yugi immediately froze.

"Stay with me okay, we're going to get you out of here." Yugi pleaded as he once more began to yank on the bonds.

"Aibou…," Yami whimpered again.

"Hold on, I'll get these undone." Yugi hissed when he felt a jagged chunk of metal cut into his palm.

"It's too warm." This made Yugi freeze in his menstruations and look in shock at his other.

"It's too warm Aibou." Yami murmured again and this time, his eyes slid fully shut. Yugi panicked.

"Yami, Yami, Atemu, Yami," Yugi uttered again and again yanking on the chains while trying to get his other to wake up. Suddenly, blinding pain shot up his foot, causing him to jerk forward. Whirling around, he realized they were surrounded by fire. The spirit just stood, fingering his robes lazily all the while with a maniacal grin spreading wide across his feminine features.

"I'm sorry, my fingers slipped," he chuckled as he whirled back into the form of Dartz, green eyes glinting as the rest of him faded back into the darkness.

"LET US GO!!" Yugi screamed. The fire was drawing ever closer as the spirit simply turned around and began to walk away. "COME BACK HERE AND LET US GO!!" The spirit simply laughed again and gave a curt wave then vanished from the room.

Smoke began to fill the young light's nostrils, causing him to hack as the sensations burned his lungs. 'Yami, I'm leaving you here. I won't leave you here.' Yugi began once more to pull on the chains, yanking fiercely at their hooks. His vision was beginning to blur as the constant deprivation of clean oxygen was slowly shutting down his brain.

"Mou Hitori No Boku, I won't leave you," Yugi coughed as his attempts at the chain were growing weaker by the second. "I won't…leave…you…alone again." At that, the world spun black as he collapsed, hugging onto his dark.


	12. Magician's Faith

It was warm. It was too warm. Blackness filled his vision as his eyes pried themselves open. He could hear his Aibou above him, desperately yanking at the chains. He could hear him calling out to someone to let them go, come back and let them go. Apparently that didn't work when his Aibou once more turned back to furiously prying at the links. His vision was becoming bleary as he felt the heat lick at his bound ankles. His eyes were sliding shut again to shield themselves from the stinging atmosphere when suddenly, he heard his Aibou murmur.

"Mou Hitori No Boku, I won't leave you, I won't…leave…you…alone again."

His Aibou had never left him. He had never left him alone without coming back. The heat was becoming unbearable. Why? His eyes widened when he felt the smaller body of his light, though he had grown was still shorter than him by an inch or so collapse onto his. Focusing the now widened vision, he saw orange and red. There were also pillars of black floating amidst these bright hues.

Suddenly, his mind clicked. Fire!! His soul room was on fire!! Gingerly picking up his light, he cradled the boy to him as he began to lift himself up from his stoic position. Pain screeched through his nerves as his bones and muscles unwillingly caved to his movements. He had to save his Aibou. He has to get his Aibou out of here.

A rough tug at his collar winded him, causing him to sputter and nearly drop his unconscious Aibou. He was still chained to the wall. Helplessness flooded through his veins he watched darkness worm its way into his vision again. He tried again only to be yanked back with a harsher ferocity forcing him collapse onto the floor, hissing in agony as his Aibou landed on top of him while his back ground against the rough cement. The fire was getting closer and closer, its flames flickering with obvious lust for its two victims.

His vision was growing ever more faded by the second as he was clawing for consciousness while at the same time, for cool freedom from the fire.

"Mahado," he felt his lips utter before clutching to his light tightly while his mind once more drifted into the serene blackness.


	13. Flesh and Puzzles

"YUG'!!" Jonouchi shook the small form of his friend after having found the teen collapsed on top of the pharaoh. "COME ON MAN ANSWER ME!!"

"Jonouchi stop it before you shake his head off his body," Anzu growled in annoyance as she pried the over reacting blonde from the unconscious duelist.

"BUT—," Jonouchi was to shout some nasty insult back when a sudden white orb exited from the puzzle that was lying on the pharaoh's chest and floated back into the smaller teen's body.

"Nn," Yugi stirred, blinking the tired fog from his heavy eyes lids and he took in a deep breath, relishing in the fact that it was pure sweet oxygen that graced his lungs but the gasp was too fast, resulting in him coughing and sputtering for a few second after that.

"Hey Yug', you okay man?" Jonouchi knelt down next to his friend but was suddenly tumbling backwards when Yugi shot up to his full height and dove towards the bed, panic evident in his amethyst eyes.

"Yami, Yami wake up." Yugi pleaded when he felt the mind link was once again blocked. Jonouchi was back up and shouting with Anzu panicking in her high squeaky voice telling Yugi to lie down. Everyone was shut up when Dark Magician arose, in all his splendor, from the Millenium Puzzle and spoke in a hushed whisper to Yugi. Yugi's eyes widened for a moment then seemed to relax with bliss when the monster retracted with a small smile on his now tan features.

"Arigato Mahado," Yugi smiled and the servant of the pharaoh took a bow and instantly vanished back into the labyrinth with his master. The teen then turned to his two friends and gave them his puppy dog face which was immediately translated as Anzu dragged Jonouchi out by the ear then shutting the door gently behind her. The instant the door clicked, a soft groan was heard from the sheets followed by a hacking round of coughing.

"Hey," Yugi smiled as he made sure to keep his distance from the bed when his dark shot up, spilling all the blankets only to quickly smother a groan when pain laced his features while bleary crimson orbs darted nervously around at his surroundings. When they finally settled onto the Light, Yugi saw that the dark's body tensed but to his relief, his eyes softened. Silence settled in as the two sides stared at each other, one with an obvious tense and pained posture while the other had a relaxed yet twitchy position.

Yugi scrutinized the former pharaoh. Not only were the physical disfigurations a serious change on his other half, the authoritative air and stubborn attitude about the monarch had faded leaving only utter defeat and submission. The once wise and mischievious blood spilt orbs were filled with sheer agony and exhaustion. Sighing in worry, the Light rose from his seat and gingerly made his way to his dark. He watched as with each step he gained ground, the tenseness in the former grew. When he was about a foot from the bedside, he could see that his dark was hyperventilating, his fists were balled with the knuckles a pure white. Though his eyes were still softer than usual, they were now glinting with fear.

"Yami?" No response.

"Atemu?" There was a slight twitch in his eyes as a hint of recognition flashed in the deadened red.

"Mou Hitori no Boku?" Yugi gave a small "eep" when he was pulled strongly by the upper arm and flung onto the bed. Next thing he knew, Yami was looming over him, fear glinting in his eyes as there was obvious tension in his muscles. He gave another small eep when he saw a hand rise and closed his now sharp eyes waiting for a blow. A gentle, coarse hand cupped his cheek and he felt the thumb trace its contour. Slowly opening his eyes again, he saw his Yami, nervously biting his lip as he continued to trace the path on his cheek.

"Yami I—," Yugi began but suddenly let out a woosh of air when his other collapsed onto him, softly wrapping his arms around the other's smaller body.

"Aibou," came a hoarse croak but full of tenderness as Yugi felt Yami slowly uncoil and relax.

Looking down he watched the steady rise and fall of his Yami's back through the forest of matted hair. He also saw the marks on his face, their horrid, hideous nature, contrasting with the placid face of his dark. He noticed the skin tight black shirt riding up slightly to reveal a patchwork of red marks beneath its polyester surface. Brow creasing with worry at what those marks could mean, Yugi chose to let them be in fear of waking his Yami. Gingerly wrapping his arms around the other, he noticed how their bodies fit perfectly together as if they were truly two halves of one whole. Smiling softly, he allowed his now sharp violet eyes to close as he nestled his chin into the dark's hair and fell asleep.


	14. Dog fight

**Hey, Inumaru here reporting for duty...almost literally. The author's note said I was to be out for about a month but luck was on my side...sorta. My grandpa got his computer back so I can use his while my baby (computer) is still in sick bay. I hope the semi short wait wasn't a total bummer. I'll type more when I get a chance but for now, please enjoy and thank you all for the reviews. **

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Seto Kaiba was visibly shaken, staggering down the hall way of his too big mansion. Thank god that Mokuba isn't home, ran through his mind as he gripped the wall to support himself. The image of the laughing Yami was stuck in his head, a horrible memory that will refuse to burn up in flames no matter how much he wished for it to be blinked away.

"Why?" he asked to no one. It was obvious that the pharaoh was not in his right mind but no one could ever expect that much of a mental decay. What had happened to him?

"Seto?" a Brooklyn accent echoed down the narrow corridor, causing the young CEO to jump in surprise, instantly straightening to his normal arrogant pose.

"What is it puppy?" blue eyes closed as he leaned his head backwards, waiting as the scent of his blond lover drifted to his nose.

"You alright man?" Kaiba nearly burst out laughing but suppressed it to a mere smirk, dripping with bitterness.

"Really pup, what do you think the answer to that question would be?" Strong arms wrapped around his waist as he felt the blond mop top tickle his cheek.

"I really don't know anymore." The silence that followed was tense. "I hope Yugi is alright." At that, Kaiba's eyes snapped open and shoved the other man away.

"WHAT DO YOU CARE ABOUT YUGI?!" He knew he was over reacting but his heightened sense when it came to the affairs of his rival and the fact that his lover was caring so much about the midget booted the sense of calmness.

"SETO WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!!" Jonouchi hollered at the top of his lungs as he lunged at the CEO. "I CARE ABOUT YUG' BECAUSE HE IS MY BEST FRIEND AND WE HAVE BEEN BEFORE WE EVER MET YOU!!" Socking the brunet in the face, the blond stood and yanked the other up by the collar, pinning him up to the wall. Panting harshly, cold blue and warm honey collided in a glaring contest.

"Then why don't you go back to that time?" came the words that broke the stunning silence. The look on the other's face instantly made Kaiba regret what he had said and yet…he felt no remorse.

"You don't mean that do you?" Jonouchi stuttered, his grip tightening as his teeth clenched. "YOU DON'T REALLY MEAN THAT!!" He hollered and threw CEO back to the ground and stormed out.

Seto gingerly picked himself up off the floor, wiping away the blood that was dripping down from his busted lower lip. Turning his back, he walked away into his study. He needed time alone and he was pretty sure that Jonouchi did as well.


	15. Blue mirages

The first thing that he woke up too was the sensation of arms wrapped around his waist. Panic mode flared into action as he shoved himself off, ignoring the screaming protest of his torn back and rolled to the other side of the room. There was a yelp as his elbow dug into the other's ribs harshly during his escape process.

Growling ferally, he watched and waited as the figure on the bed rose to glance towards him. As the white hand reached towards his figure, he backed away until his back hit the wall, shoving down a screech when he felt the wounds seer.

"Yami?" a gentle voice called to him. The hand was getting closer. It was taking all of his self control to hold his postion against the wall, restraining the tears that were trickling in his eyes. When the hand touched his shoulder, the resolve crumpled with his knees as he folded forward, wrapping his arms protectively around his waist, shutting his eyes waiting for the blows to come.

"Please..please…I'll fight…please...no more." The pain did not come. Instead, the arm's encircled him in a comforting halo gently stroking through his hair, while whispering soothing words into his ear. Feeling his body relax, his mind began to register the surroundings. The blurry form that had once been surrounded by a blinding light began to come into focus. Black pajamas circled with a small leather belt while the smell of cinnamon and honey filled his nostrils. The voice was also registering into his mind.

"Mou Hitoti no Boku?" Blinking in confusing, he swiveled his eyes upwards, clashing with the gentle violet that was sharpened.

"Ai…bou?" There, that was his voice. He watched as the eyes softened even more and the embrace tighten around him. But that was the end of the peaceful meeting. Once again, the fighter instincts forced him to shove the young boy away as he repositioned himself against the wall. Time passed in slow motion as he watched the boy flail backwards and he himself lunged like a wild animal towards his falling Aibou. A flash of blue registered in his mind before he hit the body. Surprised when he felt the suddenly height in the target, he tripped, twisting his ankle with an audible snap as both he and the newcomer landed onto the floor. Pain was searing once through his mind as red flooded his vision.

"Atemu?" a cold voice slurred out to him. "Yami, stay with me."

"Kaiba…" and it all swirled black once more.


	16. Stay with me

Walking into the scene had been a shocker but the aftermath had been worse. Seto Kaiba was on is way to his study when he had heard a sudden crashing coming from the direction opposite of his hall. Making sure that the annoying pup was out of range; he turned his heels and made a beeline towards the room. The crash sounded again followed by a muffled yelp signaling the occupants were awake and lively. Opening the door, he watched as a blurry black figure, hurled himself against the wall and a wheezing Yugi jump out of bed and made a tentative move towards him. The pharaoh was awake but the way he was posed, tense and ready to kill as his crimson eyes swirled with obvious confusion.

"Yami?" He heard the younger of the two Moutos call out and instantly, rage surged through him, thinking about that Jonouchi had said earlier. However, he watched as the younger approached the older and the latter, collapse huddling, pleading for whomever he thought he was seeing to leave him alone. The rage…to the ice prince's surprise, turned to a green stroke of jealousy that tore through his heart.

'Jealous? ...Why am I jealous?' When the younger wrapped his arms, embracing Yami, the jealousy grew stronger as he felt his eyes blaze when Yami leaned slightly into the touch. It was all he could do to restrain himself to not storm over and rip the scene apart when suddenly, Yami himself threw the smaller him across the room.

'Oh great, repeat scene much.' Without thinking, he stepped into the way as he watched the ex-pharaoh lunge for his prey, blocking the path and diverting it so that the hard on collision hit him. It never did. He felt his eyes widen when sudden recognition entered the deaden crimson eyes as he tried to redirect his path and tripping on his own feet, snapping his ankle and knocking the unprepared Kaiba to the floor.

Instantly, the CEO sat up, gingerly moving the injured pharaoh to sit as he watched the crimson eyes glaze over in obvious pain.

"Atemu?" he surprise himself when he felt how easily the name rolled off his tongue. He watched in horror as the lids began to droop, covering the red gems from the world's prying eyes.

"Yami, stay with me." The CEO called out again, ignoring the pleading tone that had hitched his voice. The eyelids opened a little wider as they swiveled to watch the disheveled figure gingerly holding his arm.

"Kaiba…" came the soft murmur and the eyelids closed shut.

"NO NO NO!!" Kaiba shouted as he gingerly shook the pharaoh. "Yami I need you to wake up, please wake up."

"Kaiba…," a soft voice echoed into his hearing as he reeled around to face the speaker. 'YUGI!!' Shit, he had totally forgotten that the little brat was in here and had seen the whole scene.

"Kaiba." The young boy spoke again, worry hinting in his amethyst eyes. There was no denying that the childish boy had grown to resemble the pharaoh greatly. Though he was still a good deal shorter, his wide eyes had shaped themselves in the same pointy form of arrogance has Atemu's and he has also gained some muscle. The bangs had grown sharper but still hung limp around the teenager's face. Despite this, they were stil total opposites. He was purple, Atemu was red. He was gentle, Atemu was strict and sometimes brutal when he came to his anger.

"Kaiba…?" Yugi asked again. Shit!! How long has he been gaping like an idiot while caught up in his musings.

"KAIBA!!" The scream caused him to jump, jostling the limp figure within his arms. "YOU'RE BLEEDING!!"

He was what?! Looking down, he saw that deep maroon was staining his black turtle neck. Shit that was going to leave a stain…wait…that wasn't his blood. Whirling his blue eyes in panic, he saw that the source of the steady life liquid was seeping from the back of the unconscious pharaoh's shirt.

"Oh Ra," Yugi gingerly bent down in front of Kaiba and peeled the back of Yami's shirt upwards, backing up immediately, gagging at the sight that was presented to him. Marring the back were a patchwork of whips lashes, some of which looked as if whole chunks of skin were torn out. An understatement would be describing it as it looked like he had been put through a meat grinder. There were old ones, deep red scars across the pale back; others were still fresh and sluggishly oozing blood showing that they had been inflicted recently. Kaiba looked as if he was about to be sick.

"We'd better," his voice hitched in his throat as he swallowed the nausea back, "get this thing off of him and clean out the wounds." Yugi silently nodded and stepped aside. Seto took this as a signal to hurry up and move it before they both got sick, gingerly picked both himself and the unconscious Yami up off the floor. Surprise flashed through his eyes when he realized that the limp figure wasn't heavy at all. Jonouchi had been the one to carry him into the house and back into bed after every single one of his "awakenings".

"Kaiba?" Yugi asked walking next to the CEO. "Are you in there?"

"What do you want?" Seto didn't spare a glance at him, turning left down the third corridor and then a right at the fifth hallway.

"I wanted to thank you for everything you have done."

"Whatever." Stopping, he creaked open the ancient handle of the two solid oak doors revealing a bathroom that looked more like a spa for the finest hotels. Yugi couldn't help gaping but before he could step inside, Seto put a hand up signaling him to stop.

"I can handle this." When disbelief flitted through the others amethyst eyes, Seto sighed with annoyance. "I need a favor from you."

"Okay?" Yugi blinked confused. Kaiba asking me for a favor...okay, the world is ending officially as of today.

"I need you to go talk to Jonouchi."

"Why?" Seeing the other flinch, he decided it was better if he didn't pry. "Well alright, but you be careful with Yami." Those now sharpened innocent eyes narrowed themselves in a deadly glower. "If I find out that you have done anything, I repeat anything to further harm him, I will kill you Seto Kaiba."

"Hn." With that, the door closed as the two rivals when their separate ways.


	17. Of soap and suds

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

As soon as the door slipped shut, Kaiba felt as if the world was coming crashing down onto his shoulders even worse than it already was. His normally stoic mask slipped as he allowed the rivets of anger, sadness, shock, and vulnerability to flash through his eyes as he looked at he battle worn figure that was now soaking blood through his turtleneck sweater. Blood that he could ill afford to lose considering his current state of health.

A faint whimper of discomfort came from Yami, snapping the CEO out of his musings and sliding the mask back into place. Sighing, he walked over the plush couch next to the full body mirror and set the pharaoh down. He then removed his turtle neck for the sensations of the wet blood sticking to his arms was not a pleasant experience, then reached to do the same for Yami. The instant he touched the hem of the shirt and pulled up, he felt the figure freeze as if he had been shot and the crimson gem reveal themselves once more, wide and full of fear, all the while glazed over with exhaustion and agony. Kaiba froze, tense and holding each breath, making sure not to make a sudden threatening move.

Slowly, those eyes began to travel, darting first to his face, then to the hands and their awkward position, then to Kaiba's half nude figure and to Kaiba's eyes. The eyes of an ice prince. Suddenly, to both Kaiba's relief and horror, Yami uncoiled himself from his frozen tense position and went limp, not out of relief but still out of terror and obvious acceptance of his helplessness. He turned his head away and stared at the couch cushion, wishing he could dissapear into it.

"No Yami," Kaiba forced out in a steady voice. Still the figure did not move or turn to look at him. Sighing, and gritting his teeth, Kaiba decided to take advantage of the limp position to ease the polyester shirt off the wounds, knowing that it would cause less pain to the occupant.

Once it was off, Seto took a full assessment of the damage. Knowing the condition of the back already, the chest had fared little better. Long gashes had sliced him from shoulder blade to hip, over and over as if the other was trying to create some sick pattern carving. Bruises peppered everywhere else, some the size of disks and others as deep purple as they can get surrounded by sickly shades of green. Looking lower, he cound small bruises in the shaped of finger prints making their territory over the skin of the hips. Sick registration entered Seto's mind. The attacks, the pleas, the freeze, the reason why his mind is damaged more than expected.

Gingerly, Seto placed one hand as softly as he could onto the other's shoulder. The flinch was expected making the CEO's mask darken and threaten to crack. He felt the tremors that racked the pharaoh to the bone and the small gasps for breath he was taking.

"Yami." Still the orbs did not turn to him. Placing a hand on the unharmed cheek, he had to grit his teeth when he felt the flinch once more and the gasps turn into small noiseless whimpers.

"Yami, I need you to look at me." He watched and waited.

"Yami, please, I need you to look at me." He saw the crimson orbs press shut with more force than needed. Slowly, a deeper shakey breath was taken and the CEO felt the shaking body begin to shift.

Crimson stared up to blue. They were still glazed but the terror has loosened its grip.

"Hey," Kaiba almost laughed at himself when he said that. It was so...not him.

"H...Hi," Blue blinked for he had not been expecting a response.

"It's Kaiba." Crimson did not flinch as he watched the hand resting on his cheek and the other hand that was holding his bloody shirt reach back, however, he followed their progress with extreme tension.

"Seto," Yami breathed.

"You're going to take a bath," the CEO gestured towards the warm, steamy tub in front of them, watching as the other orbs followed.

"Seto," the other repeated. "Where's Aibou?"

"Yugi's fine." Seot reassured, growling to himself when he felt the jealous streak run its quick run through his mind.

"Okay," Yami leaned into the hand that Seto had forgot was on his cheek. The gesture made a blush race through the ice prince's cheek. Shaking his head silghtly, the small blush dissapeared.

"You are going to take a bath," the CEO repeated. "You need to take off your pants to do that." Mentally kicking himself for being so blunt, the blush was back.

Yami hadn't moved a inch since that was said. Seto slapped himself again.

"I won't watch." STOP BLUSHING YOU IDIOT!! He screamed mentally. Crimson orbs blinked as slight confusion settled into their ranks. Suddenly, the entire body launched itself up into a sitting position, throwing Seto back slightly from surprise. A groan was heard when as Yami glowered down at his ankle, testing it only to hiss again.

"You broke it." Seto said as he watched. Panic darted through hsi blue when he watched the other's body freeze once more.

"Broke," Yami repeated. The eyes were dialated now, and each breath for the former spirit seemed to be a challenge.

"It's broken but it'll heal in a couple of weeks."

"Weeks," Yami practically squeaked. Seto was beginning to fear for cardiac arrest along with the hyperventilation. He walked over to Yami and set a hand on his shoulder, lurching back when he felt the firey heat burning off the skin.

"We need you to take a bath Yami." When there was no response, Seto was growing irritated, not to mention freezing cold due to the fact that he favorite turtle neck was out of the question. Taking both hands, the roughly grabbing down hard on both of Yami's shoulders, he pulled the pharaoh forward. Yami was stuggling, fear clearly plastered on his pale features, as he punched and kicked with both legs, ignoring the blinding pain in the broke ankle at the towering CEO. Seto kept moving.

The punches were enough to knock the wind out of Seto and the kicks were going to leave bruises. Still the CEO kept moving.

"Let go of me," Yami hissed. Seto kept moving. "LET GO--!!" SPLASH!! Seto semi threw the pharaoh into the tub and ended up accidentally tumbling in with him.

Sputtering and choking, the CEO emerged and scanned the area for the pharoah. Seeing nothing, he panicked as he dove under the surface and scanned. He saw Yami, floating in the middle of the tub, practially inhaling the soapy water into his lungs. Damn bastard, nobody fuckin gtold him he couldn't swim. Rushin over, he yanked the other up onto the surface and leaned him on the edge of the tub. Pounding as hard as he could in a slightly less afflicted area on the marred back, he sighed in relief as the rubies shout open and the thin chest began to hack and choke for air.

"What...the...hell...was...that...for?" Yami glowered at the CEO, anger flaring into the once hollow crimson.

"You...didn't...tell...me...you...couldn't...swim," Seto ground out.

"I'm...egyptain...you...asshole." Yami glared back, however, the anger was leaking out as the warm water soaked through and relaxed his over tense nerves.

"Well...then...learn...how...to...swim...with...the...crocs," Seto sighed. Seto started to regret his words when the saw the other's body begin to tremble.

"Yami, no, what I meant was," he never got to finish that statement when the other began to laugh, softly at first, then into chuckles, then into full blown laughter. This time, the laughter was demented but it was the old Yami, the stupid cocky, arrogant one that could get himself killed then come back and bite them right in the butt.

"I'm guessing...that we're both bathing in our pants then," Yami glanced over at the CEO. Looking down, he realized they were still both half naked and now sopping wet in their pants.

"I guess so."

"Did you just blush?" Splashing water onto the other, the CEO glowered.

"I don't blush."

"Do so."

"Turn around."

"Blushing Seto, I think the world is ending."

"Turn around." Yami complied but couldn't help the old tense position that had reclaimed his relaxing muscles. He had to swallow a yelp when he felt hands on his back.

"Yami," Seto sighed when he felt the other begin to tremble again. "I won't hurt you."

"Promise?" Working the soap into the wounds and the shampoo into the other's hair, the CEO proze at the question. It wasn't even much of a question, it was a plea. Seto watched as the crimson orbs slide shut due to the scents of lavender and roses that overwhelmed the smaller duelist.

Hesitating slighty, Seto replied with a small smile. "Promise, your majesty."


	18. Change of Heart

**Dear Readers,**

**Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. They are having me type like a maniac right now. My computer is still down right now so I have to type right on which means, I'm typing every single chapter every day right off the top of my head. lol. Oh well, I'm having brain blasts all the time now so w00t for creative streak. If the updates are slow, I'll apologize for the inconvience. I know I do two chapter updates at a time but in a week, I might have to only do one. **

**Inumaru Higurashi of Gandara**

Meanwhile, Yugi went the opposite way down the corridor to a maroon wooded door. He heard loud SOAD music blaring through the solid structure.

Knocking lightly, he waited for the door to open. When there was no sound of movement to answer, he kicked the door and pounded against it. When there was still no movement, he was about to kick it again when he found himself tumbling into the brightly lit room and overly loud music.

"WE DON'T NEED YOUR HYPOCRISY!!" Screamed into his ears, as the now grown teen plugged them and closed his eyes tight from the pain that echoed. When silence finally fell into the room, he unplugged them and looked to stare at the friend that was once a bully.

"Yug'," the Brooklyn accent slurred out. "Whada'ya doin' here?"

"Hey Joe," Yugi smiled back as he looked up to meet the warm honey colored eyes.

"Why ya here?"

"Seto said you needed some time alone," he paused when he heard the other snort and turn on the sound system again only to turn down the volume.

"Ya bet I do," Jonouchi growled. "Dat bastard thinks that he can suddenly flare up on me because I actually give a damn 'bout what 'appens to my friends."

"I'm sure he does as well Joe." Yugi smiled again. "He's been caring for both me and Yami since we arrived. He's getting Yami's wounds examined right now."

"You left him alone wit Yami?!" Jonouchi stared in amazement at Yugi who smiled back.

"He's your RIVAL man," Jonouchi grabbed Yugi by the collar and hoisted the young boy up from the floor.

"Yes, he's my rival but he is also my friend Jonouchi."

"Yeah but--," Jonouchi gently placed the boy down and sunk down onto the over-sized bed in the middle of the room. Silence hung in the atmosphere until Yugi decided to break it.

"Where did you find Yami?" Jonouchi looked up with a deathly glower of uncontrolled anger.

"In New York," he ground out. Yugi patiently waited as Jonouchi continued. "He was in a gladiator ring."

"A..._GLADIATOR _ring?" Yugi gaped.

"Yeah."

"Where and how and what," Yugi shut himself up when he remembered the collar still embedded on his dark's neck.

"Yeah."

"Did you see him fight?"

"Yeah."

"What?"

"A dragon." Jonouchi looked away when he saw hurt and panic running through his friend's mind. "He made it though. He's one hell of a good fighter."

"Yeah, he always has been." Yugi grinned again. Jonouchi felt a small blush creep to his cheeks but then quickly blinked it away. What the hell, he snarled to himself. Yug' was his best friend and that was it, they were only friends.

"Jonouchi, I think Kaiba and you are just under a lot of stress," Yugi sighed as he sat down on the bed next to the puppy.

"Yeah," Jonouchi looked away when he felt heat run to his cheeks again.

"We all know how Kaiba handles stress." They both looked at each other then collapsed together laughing.

"Yeah, NOT WELL period!!"

"Thanks Yug'."

"No problem." Jonouchi decided to take action and drew the small into a feirce hug. Yugi, not expecting this, fell over and knocked Jonouchi over as well so that they were lying on on top of the other on the big bed.

"Sorry," Yugi blushed. Suddenly, the door opened and in walked Anzu. When she saw the scene, her entire face turned purple.

"Anzu-chan," Yugi stuttered as he picked himself up.

"Yugi," Anzu grinned. "I didn't know you were like THAT!!"

"ANZU!!" Yugi stood and ran after the girl as she disappeared laughing leaving Jonouchi with a small ache in his heart but a big goofy grin to cover up for it as he chased the two down the hall.


	19. Come to my room

**I'm arguing whether to end this story as a happy ending or a tradgedy. Don't worry, the ending isn't coming for another few chapters. **

**Inumaru**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

"Favorite food?" Yami sighed as he leaned deeper into the soft water, watching as a certain blue eyes did the same a little ways off.

Their "bath" had gone well if well meant that it started with almost drowning, the middle, Seto accidentally hit the main drain and his pants got stuck and almost ripped off, and the end, every possible bottle of soap solution had been dumped into the huge spa like tub because someone had found it amusing to start a bubble fight. All in all, Seto marveled at the change he saw in the pharaoh. The hair was wet, but no longer matted and had regained some of its former vibrancy. The skin was pale but not dirt caked. But the eyes, there was a small spark of old pharaoh annoyance back in them, a small speck of the same daring that he would spit watermelon seeds at the group of friends then run and have Yugi end up colliding with a tree chasing him.

"...Shrimp Ravioli," the blue eyes replied, flicking some water out in front of him with two delicate fingers. "Favorite movie?"

"Pirates of the Caribbean." Yami replied, ignoring the blinks of surprise from the other and sent a huge splash of water at him when the laughter started. "It's not dumb. The way Jack Sparrow acts as if he's a god and the way Will was always there to best him in some way kind of," the other paused before continuing, "used to remind me of you and me when we were dueling."

Awkward silence fell between the pair as Yami gingerly drew his good leg up and curled in on himself once more, staring into the water as if he wished it would open up and eat him.

Seto broke it with a snort and a deep plunge under the water. "Who was the god and who was always there to best him?"

"You were the god and I was unfortunately always there to best you." Yami whispered. Seto blinked before slowly asking.

"You though I was a god?" the CEO asked incredulously. Yami nodded slowly, curling up in himself even more. The silence fell once more.

"Seto," crimson orbs didn't shift from the slightly steamy water. "Where's Aibou?"

"Yugi went to talk with Jonouchi." Seto responded, supressing a growl when the annoyance of envy came to bug him.

"Oh," Yami continued to stare at the water then suddenly dove under. Seto, remembering that the former spirit couldn't swim, quickly dove after him. Grabbing him by the shoulders, he hauled him up from the waves, careful to avoid the wounds all the while holding back hisses when fists and feet collided with his chest. There were going to be some bruises after this. All the while, Yami was choking, half sobbing, and screaming.

"LET GO OF ME!!" The suddenly panicking pharaoh screeched. "LET ME GO!! LET ME GO!!" Wrestling the two of them from the tub, Seto now struggled to keep them both upright as their wet feet slipped and slid across the tile floor. Finally kicking the door open, Yami screamed even more, pounding with both arms onto the bare back of the CEO.

"RELEASE ME!!" Yami hollered. Seto swore he was going to need hearing aids after this as he made it down the hall. Kicking open one of the guest room doors, he ignoring the slightly cool wet feeling sliding down his fingers for he knew that they were soaked with blood. The struggles had reopened some wounds.

'What the hell," ran through Seto's mind. 'One moment, they were laughing and feeling slightly more normal, then the next, he tries to drown himself and is screaming at the top of his lungs.'

Slamming the door shut, they were consumed in complete darkness as Yami's struggles has turned into weak spasms and whimpers. Looking down at the trapped figure, blue eyes widened when he saw Yami's neck glowing. Looking closer, he saw that it wasn't his neck, it was the insignias on the collar. THE COLLAR!! He remembered seeing that dreadful leather contraption caked with blood, attached to the chain that had bound the pharaoh to that torturous man disguised as Dartz.

"Please," Yami begged, weakly attempting to struggle again. "Please no more." Blue eyes turned to the size of saucers when his mind clicked. THE MAN WAS TORMENTING YAMI THROUGH HIS MIND.

"Yami," He called to the panting other. Gingerly walking, he set the now feverish other onto the bed.

"Atemu," he called again, only to receive a whimper from the other. Still the crimson orbs hid themselves from his view. Suddenly, Yami continued to howl, those agony filled howls that was shattering Seto's carefully crafted mask bit by bit into a thousand tiny bits.

"PLEASE!!" Yami howled, arms limp and unresisting but the CEO could feel every muscle in the dark's body tense and shudder.

"Yami," Seto tried again in vain as another howl tore from the collared throat. Yami was sobbing now, desperately trying to get away from the demon inside of his mind.

"Atemu," Seto called again. Small slits opened themselves as dilated rubies stared unseeing through their lids. On the barest of whispers, Yami spoke. "It's too loud, Seto. Aibou, it's too loud. You took be away from the quiet. You took me away from the blackness." Yami shuddered before everything slowed. "Save me."

Suddenly, everything stopped. The collar still glowed but Yami had gone silent and still.

"Yami, Yami, ATEMU!!" Seto cried, surprised to find his cheeks were wet but didn't care as ran both hand convulsively down the planes of the dark's bare torso. "Please Yami, don't die, please wake up. Wake up. We need you. I need you. Please wake up."

Reaching up to grab at the collar buckle, Seto snarled. "I won't let you do this to him. I won't let whoever you are to do this to him anymore."

Taking one fierce yank at the raw leather, careful to avoid damaging the neck, Seto felt an unearthly tug on his body. He felt as his soul rose to his mouth then out.

He was tumbling, falling down further and further into the black swirling clouds. He hit a hard landing, causing him to see stars before darkness swam and claimed his vision.


	20. Mechanical Eyes

"Yugi, You can't catch me if you--YUGI-TACHI!!" Anzu stopped running and turned around just as Jonouchi caught the falling teenager before he hit the floor.

"Yug', Yug'," Jonouchi shook Yugi, panic running through his mind as he saw the now pointed violet eyes staring out into nothingness, pupils dilated and eyes blank.

"Yugi-Tachi, speak to us." Anzu knelt by the still petite teen. Still there was no response. Suddenly, they heard a howl echoeing from down the opposite corridor.

"Yami," Yugi breathed and yet showed no other signs of response. Jonouchi and Anzu both perked up at this, nodded to each other, before carrying the semi comatose Yugi with them as they raced down to the howling.

"Puzzle," Yugi breathed when they ran past his room. Stopping in their tracks again, they entered slowly but were knocked backwards, falling and tumbling from an unseen barrier.

Mechanically, Yugi was the last one standing in front of the door and began to walk in. The instant the teen stepped through the door way, the passage way was blanketed in a thick darkness.

"YUGI!!" The two friends screamed as they ran to the door frame, pounding on the darkness that was blocking them from seeing their friend. Another howl from the opposite corridor left them torn from which one to go.

"Anzu, you stay here with Yug'," Jonouchi turned to the teary eyed girl, gripping her shoulders in assurance before running off to the howls.

Anzu turned back to the door, "Please be okay Yugi."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Meanwhile **(thousands of miles away...sorry couldn't help my self, ignore) walks to a corner and sits down, typing because she has no life.**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Meanwhile, inside the room, Yugi slowly approached the puzzle. Everywhere, was blackness, eyes glinting, screams and shouts. Yugi was shivering now but still dragging himself across the room.

"Mou Hitori no Boku," Yugi gasped when he felt his lungs were turning to ice. A sudden gust of wind knocked the boy over, also rattling the puzzle so that it landed on the ledge of the open window. Picking himself painfully off the floor, the blank eyes of the teen fixed themselves on his target and started moving.

"You won't be able to save him," hissed one of the glowing eyes. Ignoring the stab of pain in his gut, Yugi pressed forward.

"Why don't you just give up already you little hopeless punk," another pair of red eyes glowered back at him. Still he pressed forward. Cold tendrils wrapped themselves around the trembling body, caressing it in the most unwanted ways, causing Yugi to shudder.

"See what I mean," the caresses continued. "You couldn't stop this from happening to him."

"No," Yugi hissed, the unwanted contact making his throat constrict. "I won't leave him alone again." Ripping himself away from whatever it was, he made a barrel run for the chain of the puzzle. Whatever creature was in the back, howled in fury as Yugi felt a stinging slap across the face before he was pinned wholly to the floor.

"YOU FOOLISH LITTLE BRAT!! YOU THINK YOU'VE GROWN UP!!" The creature laughed into his ear, playing on all of the teen's fears while the fading violet eyes were struggling to keep themselves open.

"IT WAS ALWAYS YAMI PROTECTING YOU!!" it hissed again, laughing at all the vain efforts. Still the smaller's fingers crawled, reaching for the golden puzzle.

"Mou Hitori No boku," Yugi panted. "I won't leave him alone again. I won't let him suffer for me."

"What can you do, what are you willing to do?" the creature hissed again.

"I will kill you," violet eyes flashed as a bright aura surrounded the teen when he reached with all the resolve that he had and snagged the Puzzle, thrusting the golden pyramid into the unseen's eyes.

The unseen reeled and snarled, making to devour the young teen. A bright flash surrounded the two and soon, Yugi found himself tumbling down a familiar black vortex. He was going into the labyrinth.

Landing hard on his back, Yugi gasped for breath as he felt his bodily functions return again. The creature, he looked hurriedly to the side, was a giant scorpion, twisting and turning as light began to assault its eyes. It reared one more time before scuttling away, then turning into ash before Yugi's very eyes.

Lying back down again in an attempt to reel through all the trauma, Yugi sighed.

"Aibou, it's too loud."

"I know Yami, I know."

"Save me."

"I promise." Opening his now pointed violet eyes, he staggered to the nearest door. The sight that met his eyes, made him gag, a silent scream that was muted in the horrid hallway.


	21. Admitance to the Ceremony

Seto came slowly, looking around his surrounding trying to clear away the massive headache that had taken over. He had grabbed Yami's collar then felt as if someone decided to punch him in the back until his skeleton popped right through his skin.

"Oh my god," Seto Kaiba for once in his life was stunned speechless. Everywhere possible, there were door and winding stair cases.

"Technically that would be Ra to you priest." came the leering voice of an all to familiar foe.

"You," Kaiba's eyes narrowed when he looked back into opposing grey.

"Well, well, well I didn't know how you got in here." Bakura sneered. "You really are animalistic then."

"What do you mean?" Kaiba blinked.

"You can't smell it?"

"Smell what?"

"This entire place, reeks of blood." Kaiba's eyes widened beyond their normal width.

"Do you know where you are?" Kaiba shook his head and the tomb robber laughed.

"Welcome," he said with a grand wave of his hands, "to the Millennium Puzzle."

With that, Kaiba bolted to his feet and ran to the nearest door only to reel back when a giant snake almost bit his head off. All the while, Bakura simply laughed.

"That wasn't your smartest move Mr. I have a hard on for technology."

"Shut up Tomb robber." Seto snarled, blue eyes blazing with fury. "I don't see you helping either."

"Why would I need to help?" Bakura smirked. "Technically, I don't even exist."

"What?" Seto jerked up and ran at the thief, only to stumble in shock when he passed right through him.

"See what I mean." Laughter echoed down the empty corridors. "Try again Priest."

Seto cautiously looked to the next door. Opening it, he was surprised to find it a hollow room.

"Hello?" He called. "Anyone here?"

"Seth?" the familiar baritone voice caused Kaiba to whirl around, nearly falling down in the process. Yami stood before him wearing the ancient Egyptian costume from his memories.

"Yami?" The other's crimson eyes blinked in confusion when Seto stated that name but refused to move any closer.

Trying again, the CEO called, "Atemu?"

Crimson eyes widened, then gleamed the way that made Seto's heart wrench itself in painful jerks against his ribs. A small smile spread across the elegant pharaoh's face as he walked forward to greet the stunned blue eyes.

When they were just inches apart, the pharaoh Yami stopped and stared at the open door way before chuckling.

"Seth for once you decide to use the door." Atemu smiled again. Seto could only stand and stare in amazement at the crimson eyes that were so filled with pain only moments go. He looked back out to see Bakura shrug, pop a cigarette,and otherwise seem to stare at the former priest with a bored expression.

"What are you watching Seth?" Yami's voice caught Seto's attention again and suddenly realized he was being a total mute idiot.

"Nothing," the answer seemed to flow right though him, almost as if he was programmed to say it. "I just thought I saw someone else there."

"There's no one there, save Mana but if she saw, she'd just go crazy with obsession and Mahado would erase her memories." Yami laughed.

"If she saw what?" Seto was curious and annoyed because there was heat radiating around him that he didn't care for and that space that was just a few inches, seem like miles that needed to be closed...NOW!!

"This Seth, this." You asked and they shall deliver. The old Yami stepped through the gap, wrapped his arms around Seto's waist as he pressed his smaller figure to the other's taller and kissed the shocked CEO full on the lips. Out of the corner of his eye, he still saw Bakura was a bored expression and was wondering, why wasn't he shocked or at least smirking to see Yami snogging him.

"Seth," Seto turned back to Yami to see him standing a few feet away now, crimson eyes still full of life yet there was something wrong. A pain wrenched in his heart causing him to cry out at the unexpected agony, knocking him to his knees as he struggled to cope. This wasn't his pain though, this was Seth's.

"Atemu," he croaked, his mechanical voice laced with sadness and regret. "Please, there must be another way."

"I'm sorry Seth. I'm sorry," Atemu smiled again, those vibrant eyes once more, their crimson depths shimmered with love and respect.

"I will never forgive for this," he felt himself grind out. "ATEMU, I will NEVER forgive you for this." He felt regret twinge at his already pained heart with he saw Yami smile back at him.

"I know Seth. I know." Out of the golden tomb came a huge wave of darkness that consumed Yami. He did not fight. Instead, he glanced one more time at the fallen CEO before closing those crimson eyes for an eternity and falling limp onto the cold stone floor.

Screams came after, but before Seto could see who or where they were from, he was thrown at full force out of that room and the door slammed shut, disappearing as the labyrinth re-twisted itself.

"Welcome back priest." Bakura smirked, blowing smoke into the other's face causing him to momentarily choke. "I hope your little stroll down memory lane wasn't so bad."

"Shut up Bakura," Seto seethed, still trying to stop his heart from thudding after what had just happened. Reigning his mind in, he took in the information.

Back then, he was in love with Yami. That would explain all the weird emotions that have been running to the brink of insanity when he was with him. But its different now, Yami had Yugi and he had Jonouchi, right? Yugi was Yami's Aibou and he was merely his rival from a long time ago. But why did it have to hurt so much admitting that Yami was not his and he was not Yami's?

Bakura's laughter took him out of his musing.

"Despite the fact that," the former tomb robber leered, "I don't exist. This is a highly amusing sight." The laughter once more echoed down the many corridors.

Suddenly, it clicked when Bakura laughed again, Seto listened carefully.

Echoed there, Echoed there, echoed there...WAIT!! Seto's eyes snapped open. THERE, IT DIDN'T ECHO THERE!! Picking himself up, he made a beeline straight for the left most corridor.

"Good luck priest, you'll need it." To his shock, every corridor vanished, leaving only a white room and all that was left a golden door with the eye of Horus, staring unblinking at the new guest.

Cautiously opening the door, he noticed Yugi was also there, on the opposite side, staring and mouth wide open in front of him. Kaiba also looked; the scream caught in his throat, tearing the his insides to shred with its sheer velocity.

Strung up in the middle of a giant golden carving or what looked like The Winged Dragon of Ra in flame phoenix mode was Yami, arms shackled in a crucifix position while blood dribbled from every wound possible into a giant vat on the floor. However, the scariest part of it, a giant barbed metal crossed was pressed, piercing the skin already, over the exact position of the pharaoh's heart.

Before either of them could flinch one muscle, chains warped from no where to bind them both to the brick wall, high enough to be aerial views of the blood bath spectacle about to happen.

"So nice of you two to join us." a sleek voice laughed, green eyes emerging from the shadow of the statue as the Dartz impostor whirled into his spirit form. Running from his hand to Yami's neck was a full length ruby chain.

"Welcome to the Ceremony. I will be your host, Verslind. I am the spirit of the unforgiven."


	22. Reason from the Darkness

**Verslind is Dutch for devour. **

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"Welcome to the ceremony. I will be your host, Verslind. I am the spirit of the unforgiven." The 6"1 spirit discarded the shell of Dartz to reveal his majestic form in front of the two struggling friends.

"You're not Dartz!!" Kaiba's eyes widened as he stared at the intruder. 'He's prettier by far,' ran through his mind.

"No, I am not considering the fact that my name is Verslind." The spirit snarled rolling his green eyes.

"I don't care," Seto huffed. This earned him a glare from the man as he yanked hard on the ruby chain attached to the pharaoh's neck. To both Yugi's and Seto's horror, they watched as the barbed cross sank deeper into his chest, eliciting a small whimper from the blood caked lips.

"Any other smart remarks?"

Yugi glared at Kaiba who simply shrugged his shoulders before hanging his head, brown bangs covering his shakiing blue eyes as his mind worked furiously to come up with a way to escape.

"Good," Verslind laughed as Yugi and Kaiba sighed when he noticed his hands slacken around the chain. "By the way Kaiba, you might want to get a shirt on."

A small blush of embarrassment spread over the CEO's face as the fact that he is indeed still half naked from his and Yami's tumble in the bath.

"What do you want with Yami?" Yugi shouted down, sharp amethyst glowering into the eerie green with fury and hatred that surprised even Seto considering it coming from one the most childlike teenager he's ever known. Tension clung tightly to the atmosphere as the stare down continued until suddenly, Yugi cried out in pain, desperately struggling against the chains.

"NO PLEASE NO STOP IT!!" The smaller version of Yami howled. "STOP IT!! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT STOP IT!!" Seto looked over in shock before whirling back to watch the spirit. Green eyes narrowed with a snarl spreading ever wider on his devious face, the spirit focused onto the smaller. Also, to Seto's horror, his watched as the cross sunk deeper into Yami's bare chest until it was clear that the former pharaoh was starting to have trouble breathing.

"LET HIM GO!!" The CEO hollered, managing to kick free of one of his arm shackles, the popping of the chain snapping Verslind from his concentration to turn back and glower at the CEO. Immediately Yugi went slack against his restraints, panting hard, wide amethyst eye staring, shuddering at the blood soaked floor below.

Seto had only a moments reprieve when suddenly, he was launched from both of the chains and on a straight collision course 10 feet below to the ground. Hair splitting pain followed as the wind was knocked out his chest as his body automatically curled up tightly into a ball.

"You dare disturb me when I am teaching an insolent brat a lesson." Verslind was purple with fury. Yanking up a fist full of the brown locks, he pulled the CEO so he was face to face, an inch away from each other before their noses touched.

"What...did...you...do...to...Yugi?" Seto ground out. His head hurt beyond hell and he could barely manage to speak save for the unnatural wheeze.

"What I am about to do to you." Green bore into blue. Seto felt his body involuntarily tense up and the same sensation swirl over his nerves as when he had grabbed Yami's collar.

"I'll show you what I want with Yami." Verslind's voice was now but an echo, a distant echo of something long gone. "Because you see, I always get what I desire." Seto's body went limp.

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He was falling, slowly but surely. It felt like an eternity. The never changing landscapes of black clouds and the swirling tunnel that he was trapped in.

"Seth." That voice. It was softer, echoing Yugi's almost but still by far more mature.

"Seth." It called again. No, leave him alone. He's not Seth, he's not Seth.

"Seth wake up." Water...wait it wasn't raining. Feeling a yelp pull from his throat, Seto's eyes snapped open and refocused just in time to once again be sent sputtering when a giant vat of water conveniently dumped itself onto his clothes.

CLOTHES?! He jumped up to roll away from the supposed enemy and looked himself over. WTF was he wearing?!

"HAHAHAHAHA!!" Looking back up at the laugh, he found a mini Yami rolling around in the grass laughing as he had carelessly thrown the vat of water back into the nearby fountain. Oh, they were both wearing the Egyptian gear...it felt comfy at least.

"Atemu," he felt himself say as he walked towards the rolling child. Feeling the warm weight on his arms, the CEO realized that he just picked the wiggling worm of a child up and was heading for the fountain.

SPLASH!!

The pouting face that emerged from the fountain was enough to make the ice prince break a rare smile except to his horror, this smile spread from ear to ear as his eyes actually closed.

"THAT'S NOT FAIR SETH!!" Yami pouted again, clambering over the fountain edge only to tumble over and land on his rump.

"SETH!!" The voice was fading to Seto's horror as he watched the happy childhood scene begin to swirl black.

"Priest Seth," this voice was harsher. Looking into the new scene, he was standing in front of an old man. Behind the man was a boy, about his age with glowing green eyes. THOSE EYES!! Seto made a lunge for him and realized that his body wouldn't move. Trying again and again, he realized it was of no use. He wasn't the one in control. He wasn't Seth. Refocusing he realized the man was still talking.

"He will be your charge. His name is Sinfonía." The old man was talking and talking but it was clear that Seth, and Seto too was focused on the green eyed child. Seto wished Seth would lash out and kill that child, Sinfonía my ass. From symphony to devour, he wondered what the hell happened there.

"SETH!! YOU PUT TARANTULAS IN MY BED AGAIN!!" A teenage Yami burst through the door, instantly snapping both of the other boy's focus.

"Atemu," Seth breathed as Seto watched him quickly bow and mumble "my prince" when the old man shot a harsh glare to the boy.

"Oh," Yami's eyes turned to the new boy who had shrunk back behind the old man.

"HIYAS!!" Seth did an anime fall at the over exuberant teen. The spiky tri-color haired teen ran over to the new boy and shook his hand. "I'm Atemu."

"Sinfonía," whispered the new boy, a clear blush spreading over the new boy's face and Seto felt Seth's jealously.

Green met crimson and in that small instant, Seto noticed the dark flash of desire run through the seemly pure green. Before he could hear what Seth was beginning to say, he felt himself being once again pulled from the scene and thrust back into Seth's unresponsive body in the garden again. Seriously, the next time he saw the sun he would have to figure out a way to kill it the way it glared the CEO's untrained eyes.

"Seth, are you paying attention?" Seto felt his eyes fix themselves once again upon the not manly Yami.

"Yes my pharaoh," he felt Seth breath but quickly sadden when he saw flits of hurt flash through the crimson.

"Why?" Atemu's voice cracked. "You won't call me my name anymore. Why?"

"Because, you are my pharaoh and I am merely a servant." A stinging sensation ran through Seto's mind as he felt Seth reel back and disbelief spread through his features. Yami just SLAPPED him. Suddenly he was pulled forward as he felt the inexperienced lips lock onto his in a fiery kiss. It ended all too soon when he felt Seth push the young man away.

"No." he felt himself say, pain eating at his heart.

"Why?"

"You are a king."

"You can be too."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I--," He felt himself rush forward as he kissed the younger on the lips again. "Because i have fallen for the king I already have."

"Seth." Suddenly, crimson orbs blinked when they turned and saw another witness to the intimate exchange.

"Sinfonía!!" Those green eyes were narrowed, clouded over with hatred and desire.

"You," Seto heard that same velvety voice, so different from the innocent greeting he had heard before, echo through the garden.

"Sinfonía please," Seto watched the exchange as Sinfonía began to yell at the top of his lungs.

"YOU REJECT ME AND GO FOR HIM!!"

"Sinfonía..." Yami looked desperate, crimson orbs showing with hurt and regret on the verge of tears.

"NO!! WHAT DOES HE HAVE THAT I DON'T?!" Sinfonía was obviously furious, to put it at an understatement as tears began to fall from those beautiful green gems that were rivaled only to Yami's rubies.

"Sinfonía, I only like you as friend."

"NO!!" Sinfonía glowered as he pointed a finger at the two of them, Seto felt Seth move to place himself in front of the trembling Atemu.

"I always get what I desire. I _always_ do." Sinfonía snarled, eyes darkening dangerously. "I will not allow the finest treasure to be swindled from me."

"Atemu belongs to no one." Seto felt himself say. He then heard the demented laughter as the other boy turned to run from the seen.

"He is mine Seto Kaiba, he is mine." Seto felt himself slowly begin to swirl back into reality however, the instant he did, he was caught in a furious lip lock with the modern day Verslind and again his mind was echoing. This time, they were screams as he was projected into the darkened bedroom where the recent events wished to unravel themselves.


	23. Pierced Moon and Bared Fangs

**Due to some graphic content that is to be revealed and the appearance of blood I have been forced to raise the rating from T to M just to be safe. Actually, I was planning on setting it to M in the first place but the computer decided T was better so hah, it bit me in the face. **

**I am hurriedly finishing the remaining chapters of this story for upon my return to Orlando and to the hell hole known as my Dad's house, I will no longer be able to access the Internet there for no posting. That is why my other prideshipping story, One Wish is currently on Haitus right now. I still need to get my computer fixed**

**Now then, on with the torment. **

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When Seto cleared his head again, he realized that for once he was not about to be fried by the sun. Instead, the room was pitch black. Allowing his eyes to adjust, he realized that the room was a bedroom.

Soft whimpering came from one darkened corner of the room.

"Please," a small voice begged. "Please let me go."

"I don't think so," the thick velvety voice mock soothed. Green eyes glowered over its victim, who Seto couldn't identify due to the fact that it was too god damn dark.

"Please," crimson was revealed when the green moved away. Seto swallow harshly to keep from being sick where he stood.

"I told you," the green eyes still focused on Seto, yet Yami didn't seem to notice as he struggled against the binds that held him to the bed. "I told you you would be mine."

"I always get what I desire." Seto blinked, there seem to be two of them talking now.

"I always get what I desire." Those green orbs focused fully onto blue and suddenly, memories, wild images, flooded into the mind of the unsuspecting CEO.

Yami, chained against the wall being flogged mercilessly, screaming until his throat was raw and hoarse. Fight after fight in which he was to win, and when he won, he was taken back into the cell as a degrading gag or at worse, a metal dog like muzzle was placed on him, before the tormentors brought fire, closer to the struggling other's body, watching and laughing while Yami was drowning in his own silent screams.

"No more," Seto sturggled out, only to moan in pain when another memeory flooded through his eyes.

Yami had just won another fight, panting harshly he was about to collapse onto his knees when suddenly, he was wrenched behind as that horrible collar was placed onto his neck.

"GET OFF OF ME!!" the baritone voice was clear and authoritative despite the fact that he looked like hell.

"No more please," Seto groaned, closing his eyes, trying in vain to shut out the images that he did not wish to see. He saw his rival and now his best friend, and apparently former lover being pinned harshly down to the dirt floor by Verslind in front of the entire crowd. The clothes were torn off as rough hands ran everywhere over the small injured body at once. Without once, one sharp scream signaled the brutal entrance.

"STOP IT!!" Seto screamed as he fought against the invisible force that kept him trapped as a mere observer. "STOP IT THAT'S ENOUGH!! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DO THIS TO HIM NO RIGHT!!" THe darkness was back.

"KAIBA!!" He heard Yugi shout.

"Kaiba please wake up." He was trying Yugi, he was trying. The horrible images, the cheering of the crowd, the screaming, it won't go away.

"Kaiba please wake up." He can't, he can't.

"Kaiba."

There were more screams than cheers now. Why? Why now? Stop it stop it. He can't wake up Yugi, he can't.

"Seth."

A tan hand reached down for his, setting genlty onto his aching head.

"Seth, wake up now."

A light kiss on the lips. Blue eyes snapped open as slowly the memory faded to nothing. Screams were still resonating from the chamber and only now did he realize that those screams had been his.

"KAIBA!!" Blue met Amethyst before looking over and glowering into amused green.

"You," Seto finally was able to his voice, hoarse and pained. He realized now that Yugi was next to him meaning that the chains had given up on restraining the latter as well.

"I always get what I desire Seto Kaiba." Verslind laughed. "However, you took that away from me."

"You never deserved someone like him. NEVER." The CEO roared as he gingerly rose to his feet. He glanced full into the downcast crimson eyes that had been blank for so long before continuing.

"You never deserved someone as pure and as gentle as he is. Sure he's stubborn and sure he kills any one's ego but he is much higher than you ever were." Blue eyes were blazing as he began to slowly take one step at a time.

"Sinfonía to Verslind, you disgust me." Seto Kaiba was now mere feet away from the fuming spirit.

"I disgust you. I disgust YOU!!" Verlind snarled. "I loved Atemu with all of my heart. I gave it to him and he rejected me. Then he turns to you. You who were his cousin Seth. You who would never bring him anything but sadness and paint he way you steeled your heart away. And yet he didn't give up. Not even for 5000 years he was trapped this puzzle. He forgave you. He loved you. And you caused him the pain he is in now for you never forgave him .You were selfish and you did this to him."

The memory he had seen in the other room slapped Seto in the face ike a bucket of ice water, pouring guilt into his already guilt ridden heart.

"You want to know why I changed my name. I changed it because I made a deal with Anubis. Give me what I wish for when I wish it and you can forever eat off of my life. He gave it to me. And I gave him everything. My heart my sould, my body, everything. What I have left is a shape shifting shell that simply seeks to reap off of those it desires. When I saw Yami again, he is the only one I need to completely satisfy my body's cravings. Symphony, a symphony of muscles and blood as I steal from those foolish mortals to live. My name is Verslind and it's all your fault."

Seto was frozen. He couldn't move. It was all his fault. It was all Seth's fault. lowering his eyes to the flooor, he could feel the burning of Yugi's eyes into his back as he watched his other.

"I'm sorry Yami." Seto whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Crimson orbs twitched, lighted again as they seems to with great effort, focus themselves onto the scene. Taking a deep shuddering breath, the chained pharaoh forced his voice to speak.

"Seth...Aibou," Yami wheezed. "Stop...it."

"Yami," Seto looked up, still frozen pinning down Verslind.

"MOU HITORI NO BOKU!!" Yugi cried. A small smile spread over the pharaoh's lips as he watched the smaller, gentler version of himself.

"You...Okay...Yugi?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!" Yugi screamed while almost laughing. "I'M NOT THE ONE WITH a GIANT BARB ABOUT TO KILL HIM?!"

"Oh...right...sorry." Yami wheezed. Blackness was pulling at his vision again.

"Yami." Crimson turned to meet blue as they comprehended.

"Stop...now...too...late." He won't be awake for much longer.

"You should listen to him." Verslind smirked.

Kaiba still didn't move until suddenly, he punched Verslind int he face, knocking the opposing spirit down onto the ground before instantly pouncing onto him. Teeth, hands, feet, they fought while Yugi raced to stop the cross from peircing the pharaoh.

"You fool," green eyes laughed. "You can't beat me." Seto didnt' say a word as blue eyes blazed and he continued to pound onto the spirit.

One kick sent the CEO flying backwards and the spirit alighted on top of the blue eyes.

"You can't kill me Seto Kaiba."

"KAIBA!!" Yugi gripped the chain as hard as he could but still, the barbed cross was still pushing into the heart of Yami who had passed out again.

"You can't, I devour everything. You can't kill me!!" Verslind was laughing as his grip loosened on the pinned wrists of Seto. Taking his opportunity, he snapped his hand out and plunged full force into Verslind's body, not knowing where he hit.

Two gasps were heard at the same time as two objects had pierced two separate bodies. The barbed cross pieced the chest of widened crimson eyes while blue eyes sat blinking back the blood that was dripping onto his face as his hand had plunged through Verslind's chest, drawing out the black beating organ.


	24. Tell me

**PLOT TWIST!! Sorry, just got done watching Yugioh the Abridged series episode 30. lol. GO LITTLEKURIBOH (if i spelled wrong I'm sorry)**

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_Two gasps were heard at the same time as two objects had pierced two separate bodies. The barbed cross pierced the chest of widened crimson eyes while blue eyes sat blinking back the blood that was dripping onto his face as his hand had plunged through Verslind's chest, drawing out the black beating organ._

"You can't kill me Seto Kaiba," the spirit laughed while Seto stared in horror at the moving organ in the palm of his hand.

"KAIBA!!" He heard Yugi yell out to him and saw that Yami was still breathing, barely as blood was pouring from his chest and mouth indicating that his heart had been hit.

"You can't kill me Seto." Verslind laughed. "You can carve out my heart and burn my remains but I shall forever haunt you."

"No," Seto murmured. Looking over to the widened crimson, they blue and red locked together.

"No more Verslind." Seto ground out but he was surprised to feel his body feel strangely light as he began to almost watch the seen from a distance.

"You," he heard the spirit choke.

"I made a mistake 5 Milena ago for not killing you the instant I saw you standing there." His voice, was that really his voice...No.

"Seth!!" He heard panic in the normally velvety voice.

"I made a mistake and now I am here to make it up and end your miserable existence." He felt his body surge with power, golden light wrapping caressing tendrils against his chest.

"Atemu, cousin, love," Seth/Seto kept their gazes locked.

"Seth," on the lightest of air came the whisper as blood once more blocked any words from escaping.

"I'm sorry for all the pain I have caused you." Seto felt woozy to put it as an understatement. Next time he saw Seth he is going to slap him for daring to violate his mind's control without permission.

"And I forgive you."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" The body that his arm was currently making a neat little hole through began to burn as Seto came back once more to control, jerking his hand, heart and all from the twitching spirit.

"KAIBA!!" Yugi let go of the chain for it too felt like iron and the cross pierced wholly into the pharaoh before vanishing and the crimson eyes closed before landing face down in a pool of his own blood.

"Seth, Seth, SETH!!" the spirit was spasming now, glaring daggers at the shocked CEO who still held the moving heart in his hands.

"I will curse your existence. I will curse it to an eternity of darkness." Seto glanced over to where Yami lay unmoving and to where Yugi was gingerly turning to battered pharaoh over while steady tears dripped down his face.

Anger flooded through Seto as he reached with his empty hand and grabbed the dying Verslind by the collar.

"How do I save him?" The spirit just laughed hysterically, as his arms began to fall limp. Seto snarled again for he was quickly losing patience.

"HOW DO I SAVE HIM YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH! I KNOW YOU KNOW HOW!" He watched coldly as he spirit sputter and choked but did not care.

"TELL ME NOW!!" Accidentally giving the black organ a harsh squeeze he felt the other completely freeze up and his voice become mechanical as he answered.

"You feed him my heart. You feed him my heart and everything shall be reversed." Dropping the dying spirit, Seto made a beeline for the unmoving pharaoh but froze half way when he heard the next statement.

"However, I have cursed you to darkness and remember, I always get what I desire." Laughing one last time, blue eyes watched unflinchingly as the green eyes turned to ash and sunk into the blood soaked floor.

"Yami, YAMI STAY WITH ME!!"

Hearing Yugi's voice raise in decibels, Seto raced over to the pharaoh and placed the black heart over the closed lips. Instantly, the jaw began to work itself as Yugi and Kaiba took a step back to watch in disgust. Teeth tore the organ apart as the throat gulped it down. When it was finally done, everything sat still.

"Did it--," Yugi never got to finish that statement as a blinding flash of light echoed through the halls.

Blinking to clear it, they realized that Kaiba wasn't half naked, Yugi wasn't coated in blood and Yami was on the bed, all three of them in the same guestroom with Jonouchi gaping at them like they were some kind of three headed dog. Before Seto could go and call Jonouchi a mutt, a groan from the bed turned everybody's attention.

"Why do I feel like I just had Cairo lopped on my head and then somebody decided to play that annoying High School musical movie over and over?" Yami sat up, moaning.

"Yami!!" Yugi tackled his other and was blinking back tears when he saw that all the grevious injuries were healed, ankle and back and even the three slashes on his face.

"Aibou...Ribs...need...air!!" Yami choked.

"Sorry," Yugi laughed. Silence came before a huge AWWWWWWWWWWWWW and a hn was heard from the ice prince when Yugi captured Yami's lips as they two finally melded together after three years of separation.

"Aibou."

"Mou Hitori no boku, it's good to have you back."

"Do you remember anything?" Seto hmphed, cuddling Jonouchi. Now that Seth was gone, he wasn't having any more inappropiate feelings towards his rival. Yami's eyes darkened as he gingerly fingered the collar around his neck before unbuckling it and watching as the leather insignias turned to dust, leaving only the scars on his neck.

"I remember everything Seto." Yami curled tightly against Yugi as the younger hugged him.

"Hn," Seto turned to leave, flexing his turtle neck sweater that was thank god now free of blood.

"Dragon?" Jonouchi called as he gave the taller a hug.

"Let's go mutt, before friendship girl shows up." Jonouchi smiled and turned to follow his brunette lover out.

"Seto," Yami called out once more to the back of the CEO.

"What?"

"Thank you."

The second those two left to go make up in their own bedroom, Anzu burst in holding the puzzle as she squealed in delight to know that her two closet friends were once again okay.


	25. Puzzleshipping

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**For all of those who have reviewed, you will only have to bear with my horrible writing skills for another three chapters. **

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10 months later...

"Yami," Yugi moaned as the other pressed butterfly kisses down the smaller's naked torso.

"Shut up Yugi," Yami laughed as he used his skilled tongue to tickle the other right in the ribs.

"STOP IT!!" Yugi laughed as he threw a pillow at the later's face before switching their positions and falling onto the other's chest, listening to the steady heart beat and breathing.

"To think," Yugi murmured as he felt the dark's hands curl through his hair and trace lines down his shoulder blades.

"What Aibou?" Yami's crimson was back to their old gleam as they began to glaze over with comfort.

"To think I that was a hair breath's away from losing you forever." Yugi buried his head in the crook of his dark's neck.

"Yugi," Yami sighed as he lifted the other's face to meet his over, sharp crimson bore into their twins save only in amethyst. "You will never lose me. Never."

"Promise?" Yugi sniffed. Kissing his innocent wink wink Aibou's lips in a wave of fiery passion, he took the Millennium Puzzle from the night stand and gingerly set the chain over his Aibou's neck, allowing the golden weight to settle warmly across the other's care torso.

"Promise."


	26. Of Mummies and Mysteries

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**In the end, I'm not for the happy endings. Ah well. Both parties have to be happy. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and I hope to type for you all sometime soon once my family life and computer issues get sorted out. **

**Love you all,**

**Inumaru Higurashi**

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His Aibou was asleep now as he watched the smaller in his happy dreams. He moved silently so not the wake the other as he replaced his body with a pillow and watched with a small smile as the small one's body curled over it, mumbling something like "you use too much axe...sexy though."

"I'm sorry," he whispered into his Aibou ear.

"I forgive you," came the sleepy answer back. Sliding a small sheet of white paper under the pillow, he left.

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HYAH HYAH HYAH!! Crimson eyes felt himself brace for impact at every hit and punch. Jump, back, flip, attack, his body was once again a machine. Go, run, jump, flit, next, tree, too, HIT!! a resounding crack came from the ancient trunk as the thick canopy came crashing down.

"I find you here," a cold voice echoed into the stillness of the night. Blue eyes glowed from the distant trees while watching the proud moonlight figure that stood panting from the exertion.

"Yes, and you as well." Yami looked over as he stood stalk still, waiting and watching as the eyes pried into one another's minds.

"Quite a coincidence I must say," Seto Kaiba stepped out from the shadows, wearing a black trench coat with the collar pulled up and closed so to cover his face leaving only the nose and above visible.

"I must say so as well." Yami still stood, waiting patiently. Seto moved over, more of appeared over, and grabbed both of the pharaoh's arms behind his back. Still, Yami did not move.

"He cursed you to darkness." Yami stared up into the stars, unblinking as he heard the heavy panting an wheezing occurring behind him.

"He cursed you for this, for me, for being able to save me." The sound of the zipper for the trench coat unzipping echoed into the night.

"A curse that only this body can end." Yami chuckled.

"Thank you Seto." Sharp fangs glinted in the bright glow of the full moon and blue eyes were over run by black desire.

"Forgive me." Yami closed his eyes as he felt his life liquid being drained away slowly. He was done, his purpose was done, he was free. Dropping like a limp doll onto the dew shown grass floor, he lay unmoving while Seto reigned in the tears that were cascading down his cheeks running red as they met his chin while he wiped his hand and mouth clean of the red iron.

"There is nothing to forgive."

"Thank you Seto Kaiba. Thank you."

The next morning, Seto Kaiba, in his Dragon jet flew over to Egypt to the Valley of the kings to deposit a solid gold earn into the Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh. Insrcibed into a cartouche hanging from it, it was Atemu in hieroglyphics. Sealing the door to the chamber forever, at last a tormented spirit could rest in peace.


	27. Carved Forever

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**Sorry.**

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Yugi awoke the next morning to find Yami no longer in bed. Flipping out of the covers he looked around, not noticing the pillow hiding the letter was tumbled onto the floor revealing the pristine piece of paper until he heard the crunch when he accidentally sat on it. Opening it, he read the neatly scrawled black print while tears glazed his eyes.

_Dear Aibou,_

_If you are reading this then you shall awaken alone and probably sit on this before you realize it're here. Don't worry, I kind of predictied it so I used the non smudging ink pen to write this. _

_If you are reading this then I am no longer of this world. My death was purely voluntary so you don't need to start a hit list. Don't worry about the body either, some one else has already promised to return it. I love you Aibou and I'm sorry I had to go like this. I don't belong with you anymore. You're too good, too pure, you're everything I could ever dream of. The time I spent with you was bliss. I promised not to leave you and I haven't. My heart shall always be in the Puzzle to warm your way into the world._

_Aibou, you are mine as I am yours. Good bye my love, my light, my shining star in the desert sky._

_Yami_

Yugi folded the letter neatly and placed it in the drawer right beside his duel deck. Slipping the Millennium Puzzle back into place around his neck, the small teenager walked out of the Kame Game Shop, as he joined Anzu and Jonouchi.

_Dear Yami,_

_Forever yours,_

_Yugi _

That's what would be written on the empty soul room of the golden puzzle that started it all for all of eternity.


	28. Epilogue: Prideshipping

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**This is the Epilogue. To think I was never going to finish this. Check out One Wish, my other one I am working on, currently on haitus though. **

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"Atemu?" Where?

"Atemu?" Who?

"Atemu!!" Shooting up, crimson eyes blinked in to see blue inches above his nose.

"Seth?!" The blue rose up to his full height, dress in blue Egyptian garb, and smiling softly in the golden sun.

"My pharaoh, to what do I owe this honor." Rising up, he ran into the taller's arms, wrapping his arms around the slim waist and burying his face int he familiar lotus scent.

"I've missed you." Atemu sniffed. Long, delicate fingers glided over to cup under his chin as the rubs were raised to meet saphires.

"For you I would wait forever."

"Prove it." The taller bent over as the distance between them closed in a passionate, loving embrace, speaking words that could never be spoken aloud.

"I shall and many times over if I have to." Seth gingerly lowered them both to the sand swept floor as Atemu curled into the tallers chest.

"My priest as shall I."


	29. Disclaimer

Disclaimer:

I do not own Yugioh. Every character goes to Takahashi and his genius for creating a wonderful anime that has sparked my imagination as a writer.


	30. Head's up There's a suprise

Hey people's,

I know it had been a while since I have typed. but my laptoped got majorly crashed by a Trojan virus so yeah. I kinda dies. But hey good new for all you people. I loved Chains so much that I am doing a sequel to it which the first chapter should be up sometime this weekend. For all you puzzleshippers I will have to apologize because I am a hardcore prideshipper now. So sorries sorries sorries. I just can't leave such a good plot hanging. sorries again but my reversal of parings threw everything off. Anyways, I will get the chapters up and then work on my novel which is Flesh Bound Gears. If anyone wishes to read the first few installments of that please email me. Otherwise aideu to all of you devoted readers and thank you for your feedback.

Love,

Inumaru Higurashi


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